LUTHER BURBANK 



tiful little plant of the genus Ephiphlylum. There 

 are also members of the Cereus family that are 

 thornless, showing not a trace of spine on any part 

 of the plant or fruit. 



But the cactus plants that are thus unprovided 

 with spines were without exception small and 

 inconspicuous species, and also with a bitter prin- 

 ciple so disagreeable that cattle generally refused 

 to eat the plants. So the plants offered no possi- 

 bilities of direct development through selection, 

 that could promise the production of varieties that 

 would have value as forage plants. 



Meantime the large varieties, in particular the 

 members of the genus Opuntia, which have pecu- 

 liarly attractive qualities of size and succulence, 

 are thickly studded with spines for the very reason, 

 doubtless, that were they not thus protected they 

 could never have maintained Existence in regions 

 inhabited by the jack rabbit, antelope and buffalo. 



If the problem of securing a spineless cactus of 

 value as a forage plant — to redaim the deserts and 

 supply succulent food for herbivorous animals 

 where now little but sagebrush grows — ^was to be 

 solved, it would be necessary, I thought, to hybrid- 

 ize the already well-known, partially spineless 

 species of cactus with the large-growing, spiny 

 ones. There seemed reason .to hope that a reas- 

 sortment of hereditary characters might be 



[172] 



