roots, Tubers, and other succulent feeds 147 



cutter. There is no material difference in the chemical composition 

 of the two kinds of cacti. In the case of either kind the composition 

 of the plants will vary according to the parts analyzed. The^ older, 

 somewhat woody stems contain less water than the young, succulent 

 joints. Cattle appear to prefer the more mature joints, and doubt- 

 less derive the greater amount of nutriment from these. Spineless 

 cacti will contain 75 to 92 per cent of water (average about 88 per 

 cent), about 1.0 per cent protein, 2.5 per cent fiber, 10 per cent 

 nitrogen-free extract, 0.3 per cent fat, and 3 per cent ash. As 

 might be expected, the ash content and the nitrogen-free extract are 

 high, while protein is relatively low ; it is, therefore, a starchy feed 

 and has a very wide nutritive ratio, 1:17. 



The spineless cacti have been considerably exploited in the south- 

 western States and California during recent years as a feed for 

 farm animals, and extravagant claims are often made as regards 

 the yields obtained and the nutritive value of the plants. The 

 yields have been calculated on the basis of the weight of slabs from 

 a single young plant, or perhaps a small field during a single sea- 

 son, and enormous figures, as high as 1000 tons per acre, have been 

 claimed as a result. As against these figures we have accurate 

 information as to the yields secured at the Arizona station and at 

 Chico, Cal., where the United States Department of Agriculture 

 has conducted experiments with this plant for a number of years 

 past. The results obtained at the latter place show an average 

 annual yield between 20 and 25 tons to the acre. This is with 

 expert cultivation and maintenance of a perfect stand. "The 

 plantation has been carefully cultivated, all weeds have been kept 

 down during the growing season, and a good tilth has been main- 

 tained during the summer. Once or twice a year the whole planta- ' 

 tion has been gone over, and missing plants replaced." 



Cactus is well liked by most farm animals when they are once 

 accustomed to it, and is especially adapted for feeding to cattle and 

 swine. Instances are on record of dairy cows eating 100 to 150 

 pounds of cacti a day per head, for months at a time, receiving no 

 dry feed in addition, but on account of the laxative effect of the 

 plant, and on general principles, the better practice is to feed either 

 dry roughage or grain feed, or both, in connection with it, whether 

 the animals fed be fattening steers, milch cows, or swine. Accord- 

 ing to Griffiths, 6 pounds of green prickly pears, when singed, have 

 a feeding value similar to a pound of dry sorghum hay when fed to 

 dairy cattle. 25 A carload of range steers fed 96 pounds of singed 

 m Bureau Animal Industry, U, S. Department of Agriculture, Bulletin 91. 



