LUTHER BURBANK 



ing — so that the fruit may be accurately appraised 

 — until the third or fourth year. Then the fruit 

 may be produced so abundantly as to check the 

 growth of the plant. When the cactus has come 

 to mature age, it puts forth such an abundance 

 of fruit as sometimes almost to hide the slabs 

 from which the fruit grows. Half a hundred in- 

 dividual fruits may grow on the edges or surface 

 of a single slab. 



Looking across a field of cactus in full fruit, 

 one sees a mass of fruit that almost hides the 

 plant. 



It has been found that eighteen thousand 

 pounds of fruit per acre is a common crop on the 

 poorest soil. The possibilities of production on 

 good soil and with fully matured plants of the 

 perfected varieties are probably greater than 

 those of any other fruit-producing plant whatever. 



It has been estimated that the product of a 

 single acre may amount to the astounding quan- 

 tity of one hundred tons. 



Whoever has seen a field of my giant cactus 

 plants in full fruit will not be disposed to chal- 

 lenge the estimate. 



Analysis shows that the fruit contains about 

 fourteen per cent, sugar together with a small 

 amount of protein and fat. The precise appor- 

 tionment of the constituents varies greatly with 



[222] 



