44 



Methods of utilisation not involving its 

 destruction may be bricHy alluded to— 



(a) Fruit Production.— The fruit of the 

 connuonest species, which is referred to 

 as 0. ficus-indka, enters largely into the 

 dietary of the people, and is a common 

 marketable commodity, being used fresh 

 and in a dried state, after the manner of 

 ordinary figs. In fact, this kind of 

 Prickly-pear was extensively cultivated 

 formerly for its fruit production alone. 



(b) Cochineal Industry.— ^inaa the introduc- 

 tion of Coccus cacti, L., from America, 

 in 1826, the business of raising cochineal 

 attained very great proriiinence, the 

 insect being carefully farmed on special 

 areas, named "Nopalries," devoted ex- 

 clusively to the grovrth of this particular 

 form of 0. ficus-indica. In fact, for a 

 time the cultivation of the vine, inter- 

 fered with by numerous " troubles" 

 affecting the plant, was in great measure 

 superseded locally by it. A writer in the 

 " Diccionaria Eneiclopedico Hispano- 

 Americano" (1890, p. 357) stated that 

 in 1850 the exportation of cochineal 

 from Teneriffe to England , alone 

 exceeded 800,000 lb. In 1869 the 

 enormous total exportation of 3,000,000 

 kilogrammes was reached (Benitz, 1912, 

 p. 17c) ; and Sir Samuel Brown stated 

 that, as late as 1893, £50,000 worth of 

 cochineal was despatched from a single 

 district— Orotava (Ward, 1903, p. 56) — 

 the price then being as much as 5s. 

 per lb. 



DeNobrega (1849) and Martins (1855) have 

 given an account of the cultivation and prepara- 

 tion of cochineal. 



Shortly after the discovery of the aniline 

 colours, the industry of raising cochineal declined 

 in the Canary Islands as elsewhere, although even 

 at the time of the Commission's visit it was still 

 being maintained to some extent on both islands, 

 but more particularly at Arucas, on Grand 



Canary, the industry for preparing the "Grana" 

 being a still noticeable feature at Agaete. Major 

 Swanston, Vice-Consul at Las Palmas, stated that, 

 as recently as 1911, 68,803 lb., valued at nearly 

 20,000 dollars, had been despatched from that 

 port to the United States of America. The lucra- 

 tive banana industry is now replacing the raising 

 of cochineal. 



The conditions inseparable from successful 

 cochineal production finding no place in Aus- 

 tralia, the suggestion that the Prickly-pear plants 

 of Queensland might be used for this purpose need 

 not be entertained. 



In connection with the industry, two kinds of 

 Opuntia plants, in addition to the one on which 

 the insect is raised, are employed — ^viz., 0. 

 tomentosa, used as a nurse plaint for the growing 

 insect, and 0. dillenii, whose stout thorns are 

 employed for attaching the tissue containing 

 the egg-laden females in the process of estab- 

 lishing the Coccus cacti on fresh plants. 



The latter Prickly-pear is used locally as a 

 hedge plant, this mode of employment accounting 

 for its presence and for its persistence. 



Occasionally, where Prickly-pear has to be 

 exterminated to make way for some special crop 

 plant, it is the custom simply to dig it out and 

 destroy it. Owing to the habit of bringing almost 

 every foot of ground that will support the growth 

 of one economic plant or another under cultiva- 

 tion, the Prickly-pear, or indeed any other weed, 

 is little likely to ever become a pest in these 

 islands. 



SUMMAEY OF INVESTIGATIONS IN THE 

 CANAEY ISLANDS. 



Neither disease nor insect enemies having 

 any value as destroyers of Prickly-pear appear 

 to be present. 



The methods of utilisation are not such as 

 would lead to the destruction of the plants. 



v.— EUROPE AND THE MEDITERRANEAN AREA. 



During the stay in England, the Commission 

 made its headquarters at th? office of the Agent- 

 General for Queensland, where Sir Thomas 

 Eobinson as well as Mr. Dillon and the mem- 

 bers of his staff did all they could to assist us in 

 carrying out our inquiries. 



Several visits were made to the Royal 

 Botanic Gardens, Kew, whose Director, Sir 

 David Prain, afforded us every opportunity to 

 consult the botanists connected with this famous 

 institution and study the collection of Cactacese 

 in the herbarium as well as those growing in the 

 garden. The fine library was also made use of. 



Under the guidance of Mr. N. Brown, who is in 

 charge of the collection of succulent plants, some 

 progress was made in clearing up the nomen- 

 clature of the naturalised prickly-pears which had 

 already been met with in India, South Africa, and 

 the Canary Islands, as well as in our own State. 



Mr. G. Massee, the well-known plant patho- 

 logist and mycologist at Kew, informed the Com- 

 mission that he had not given any attention to 

 the diseases of Opuntia. 



It was at Kew that Mr. Alwyn Berger was 

 first interviewed. This botanist, who is one of 

 the leading authorities on Opuntias, extended an 

 invitation to visit Lady Hanbury's Gardens at 

 La Mortola, Ventimiglia, famous for its collection 

 of prickly-pears and other succulents growing in 

 the open, Mr. Berger being the Curator. 



In addition to the collection of Cactacese in the 

 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, that in the Univer- 

 sity Botanic Gardens, Cambridge, in charge of Mr. 

 Lynch, and the fine Darrah collection in the 

 Alexandra Park, Manchester, controlled by 

 Professor Weiss, were examined. Various 

 scientific institutions were visited, and the advice 

 and assistance of many prominent workers in 



