31 



Along our route from the Hondo to the Sabiual 110 grass was seeu. Of 

 the quantities of prickly pear I remarked how fresh and vigorous they 

 looked amid the dearth of other herbage. The abundance and quality 

 of the different species are indeed a benefit to the stockmen in these re- 

 gions, I was informed that an immense amount of the "leaves," as the 

 flat. joints of the Opuntla are called, were eaten for forage. 



Not far from the Hondo we passed a ranch where a large quantity of 

 the prickly pear had been hauled, and the joints were passing through 

 the preliminary scorching. A large herd of cattle was feeding on the 

 scorched food as if with a relish. I heard one man say, "The prickly 

 pear is all that saves this country ;" and another, " The cattle just love 

 it, they can't get anything else." But cattle can not well thrive entirely 

 on such diet. I heard from others that it was better for the health of 

 the cattle to have such food mixed with hay or grain occasionally. I 

 saw a few cattle feeding on the joints in the field before they were cut 

 and prepared, but they were moving their mouths as if in pain. 1 was 

 told that very often cattle, and sheep particularly, take such food with- 

 out its having gone through the scorching that softens the spines and 

 destroys the bristles. It would seem that these cactus lands that have 

 been regarded so worthless will be more valuable, not only as furnish- 

 ing food for stock, but also in other ways in which some of the species 

 can be utilized. In some of the machine-shops the prickly pear serves 

 a good purpose as a. lubricant. The Mexicans, who give the name of 

 nopal to the different species of flat-jointed opuntias, prepare certain 

 dishes in which the nopal u leaf" is mixed with other food. It also has 

 the reputation of making a good poultice for sores and bruises. Of the 

 opuntias with cylindrical joints (called by the Mexicans, Chollas), two 

 species are common in Texas west of San Antonio. With their numer- 

 ous branches they have a shrubby appearance. One, Optmtiafrittescens, 

 I met with frequently between San Antonio and Del Rio, and less often 

 in places farther west. The other, 0. arboresccns 1 I found sparingly 

 east of Del Eio, but west of there very abundant. I have seen both 

 species trained into good hedges. 



On our arrival at the Sabiual, we turned from our direct course west- 

 ward for a short trip up the Sabinal Valley. Near the creek, but not 

 on its border, I noticed single plants scattered here and there of Am- 

 tida purpurea (purple bearded-grass) that is widely diffused in western 

 Texas. On the border of the creek I found two or three other kinds of 

 the bearded grasses (Aristida) Stipa setigera, Thurberia ArJcansana, 

 Eleu&ine Mgyptiaca, and other grasses that I gathered at points already 

 mentioned. We rode along the Sabinal only as far north as Utopia, 

 and there, by the creek, I found a few specimens of Panicum jmbescens, 

 the only place I saw it west of San Antonio. On some of the hills that 

 tower along the sides of the creek one sees occasionally in riding along 

 a few plants of the Sotol and Noliua that flourish in such great abun- 

 dance in western Texas. Gladly would I have lingered in this interest- 



