David Starr Jordan 



is as a forage plant to be cut and thrown to cattle 

 as green fodder. For this purpose it is extraor- 

 dinarily abundant as to quantity, and at the same 

 time most excellent as to quality, having a high 



Thallus and Fruit of Spineless Cactus. 



nutritive value, exceeding in this respect most or 

 all of the grasses. 



Incidentally, in this connection, the edible 

 fruit of the Opuntia ficus-indica or '^Barbary Fig,'' 

 which has been long cultivated in Southern Eur- 

 ope and Northern Africa has been greatly im- 

 proved under selection. This plant was originally 

 a native of Tropical America, but has been long 

 grown in gardens of Spain, Italy, Morocco and 



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