THE THORNLESS EDIBLE CACTUS 
enormous scope. The desert land on the globe 
is estimated to be two billion, seven hundred 
millions of acres, an area six thousand square 
miles larger than the area of the United States 
inclusive of its insular possessions. All this 
save, perhaps, in some case where absolutely 
no rain falls, may be reclaimed for food for 
man and beast if needs be. The regions known 
as steppes, much of which is semi-arable, is 
estimated at nearly nine billions of square 
miles additional, practically all of which may 
be utilized for the new cactus. The fertile 
regions of the globe are considerably larger 
than both these regions, some twenty-nine 
millions of square miles, over sixteen billions 
of acres. On every foot of fertile soil the 
cactus will grow with still greater rapidity 
than in the desert, for it takes on a new and 
powerful impulse under cultivation. 
These figures give something of the possi- 
bilities. In Mr. Burbank’s own words: 
“The population of the globe may be 
doubled and yet, in the immediate food of the 
cactus plant itself and in the food animals 
which may be raised upon it, there would still 
be enough for all.” 
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