March 1907. J 



167 



Edible Products, 



land, 5 to 8 lbs. of seed per acre is recommended as being sufficient. The plant 

 should be allowed to shed its seed until the growth is established. The best time 

 for sowing is in the beginning of the warm season, jnst before the rains are expected. 

 Under favourable conditions the seeds germinate in 18 to 21 days. For quick results, 

 and also on account of the difficulty of obtaining reliable seed, the planting of 

 "roots" is recommended, particularly when a mixed pasture is being formed. At 

 Wollongbar the " roots" are planted 4 or 5 feet apart, each way, and the ordinary 

 grass or clover seeds are afterwards sown in their proper seasons.— Kew Bulletin, 

 No. 1, 1902. 



[This grass is now a very common fodder grass up-country in Ceylon.— Ed. T.A.] 



THE USE OF PRICKLY PEAR AS FODDER. 



According to the United States Department of Agriculture (Bureau of Plant 

 Industry, No. 74) the use of prickly as fodder is, in the arid and semi-arid regions of 

 the United States, not only resorted to in seasons of drought but, along with other 

 dry foods, finds a place all the year round in the forage list of many stock-keepers. 

 No definite feeding tests have yet been reported from that country, but the expe- 

 rience of practical men invariably point out its utility in times of scarcity. 



2. In India, however, much certainty exists. During the famine of 1877, a 

 great deal was made of this plant, and in many cases depots were established where 

 the ryots' cattle were, sometimes forcibly, fed on chopped cactus. The results in 

 many cases were extremely satisfactory, though the native cultivators could not, 

 except in rare cases, be induced to feed it of their own accord, fearing the loss of 

 their cattle from diarrhoea or dysentry. Since then occasional reports have been 

 issued in a more or less favourable spirit of its value as fodder. 



8. Certainly from its analysis one would not be led to expect as much as is 

 sometimes claimed for it. The following analysis is by Mr. Hopper, and was carried 

 out in connection with some feeding experiments at Poona and Nagpur in 1903 : — 



Water ... ... ... ... ... 16-96 



Organic matter ... ... ... ... 60 - 64 



Ash ... ... ,.. ... ... 22-40 



This sample had been sun-dried for four days and had lost 80 per cent, by 

 weight of moisture. 



4. Two sets of feeding experiments have been carried out, both by the 

 Bombay Agricultural Department. They are curiously at variance. In 1892 Mr. 

 Mollison fed three cattle ranging in age from 18 months to two years for a period of 

 a month on a diet consisting of 15 lbs. of pear and 4 lbs. of hay per day. At the end 

 of 32 days, the animals were in a thriving condition and had increased in weight. 

 Shortly before this the experiment was tried of feeding prickly pear to pampered 

 milch (tattle which resulted in complete failure. The animals had to be starved 

 before they would touch it, and the experiment involved so much cruelty that it was 

 discontinued, though the experiment was held to have proved that even these 

 animals by severe stinting could have been kept alive. 



5. On the other hand Mr. Mehta, believing that Mr. Mollison had not tried 

 for a sufficiently long period, fed prickly pear to three small cattle of the local 

 Deccan breed for nearly five months. Much trouble seems to have been experienced 

 in getting the bullock to eat it at first, but they eventually came to consume 15 lbs. 

 per diem. 5 lbs. hay was added after a fortnight when the consumption of pear fell 

 off at once. Finally in such a poor condition had the bullocks got that 1 lb. oil-cake 

 was given, along with which they consumed 25 lbs. pear. No improvement could be 

 seen, and the experiment was stopped as its continuance would have killed the 

 beasts. 



