146 
between San Anto nio, pero and Chihuahua, Mexico; long before 
the nhat of siltondo 3 in that part, and when n nearly all the wool 
grown in the northern pit of Mexico found its way to San Antonio, 
exas, by means of large trains of ox-waggons, and I may safely say, 
that had it not been for that providence of nature, the prickly pear, 
the large traffic could not have been carried on, nor could the vast 
herds of sheep have been maintained in that dry arid region. It 
seldom rained there, and when it did the grass vg spring up fresh 
and green, but, ina few days, the hot sun would parch it; then the 
winds would blow off the dried grass, leaving the uenia bare again 
excepting ahont the roots of the prickly pear where it was sheltered 
from the hot sun and winds and received some moisture from the roots 
of the plant. lt apari to me that the cactus must derive its móisture 
and sustenance in a great measure from the air, as it thrives even on 
brick and stone walls in the driest climates; merely throwing out a 
few iid roots to prevent itself being detached by the winds or 
otherwi 
It Pu “the custom when teams. óf ox- mes (commonly called 
** prairie sehooners ") are trae. to send. men ahead in the after- 
dam D dry eactus leaves and roots with which riget are made—and 
ntion that in the absence of wood the dry plant makes 
axolii? a fael tieni the — leaves (or flattened branches to speak 
strictly) are chopped o e plant, stuck on forks and toasted z < 
flames until all the prickles are burnt off, when the leaves are cu 
convenient “chunks” for the animals to masticate. This food should 
be ibus to cool well before it is eaten or it will sometimes produce 
indigestion and diarrhoe 
Cattle work and s on this food alone, and can go without water 
for several days w apres any apparent shrinkage in flesh or loss of 
useular force. It is very curious to see the teams of ane brace to 
their work and go a d as soon as they see or smeli the fire where 
their supper is being prepared, and when they have T their 
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night, they will. search for the ripe fruit of the plant, which is. sweet, 
nutritive, and juicy, and abounds in great quantities-nearly all. the year 
round. 
The fruit of thiswild 'eactus is eaten by man, but is not considered 
wholesome, a very refreshing, yet the fruit of the cultivated 
varieties is quite so. 
esa are execedingi y fond of the fruit, ii when Tet c out of the pen 
n the morning ace in search of the ripe fruit. Se will get fat 
in a country Vbi there is little or nothing else but Prickly Pear; the 
plant needs no cooking ze them, the narrowness of their -— s enabling 
m to gnaw.at the. leay s- between the. prickles ;. the.leaf once opened 
in this manner it is an en matter for the s sheep to get at ue remainder 
of the pulp. . Sheep require little, or. no moisture in a Prickly Pear 
countr 
The festive goat. thrives eyen better than the sheep on the plant ; 
being a.climber he gets at the fruit on the upper leaves.as well as the 
. There are in this country hundreds of, thousands. of goats main- 
Ero in the E on the Prickly Pear ; „they are killed for the sake of 
their skins and tallow... When the tallow.is all extracted from the meat 
due is packed in - bales, sent to the various markets, and sold to 
the poor for a e “ meat food.” 
