yield of pp:ar. 39 



YIELD OF PEAR. 



During the winter of 1902, Mr. J. C. Glass, of Eagle Pass, Tex., 

 fed pear (PL IV, fig. 2) to save his herd, as is the common practice 

 in Texas during drought. The number of cattle that were fed was 

 not constant, for the herd was continually worked over, strong ones 

 being turned out and weaker ones put on feed. When the drought 

 was broken 1,500 cattle were being fed, and an average of not 

 less than 800 were fed for the entire six months. The pear 

 machine was moved into a pear thicket, near a windmill supplying an 

 abundance of fairty good water for this region. It is believed by Mr. 

 Glass that pear was not hauled over a quarter of a mile, and that not 

 more than 80 acres were harvested. The area fed is irregular, the 

 cutting being governed by the quality of the pear, ease of access 

 through the thick mesquite brush, etc. The harvesting was done very 

 closely in places and less so in others, the plants being cut off at the 

 surface of the ground very often, but at other times much was left in 

 the brush. The above account and estimate, therefore, represent, as 

 closely as such estimates permit, the entire yield of pear on a virgin 

 tract — virgin except in the quantity — which had been grazed by stock 

 during the past fifteen or twenty years. This amount, however, is 

 inconsiderable. These data are not definite, but they are the best avail- 

 able, and represent the practices in vogue in prickly-pear regions. 

 Several things should be borne in mind in connection with this account. 

 The conditions might be grouped, in order to present them clearbr, 

 as follows: 



(1) The feeding was begun after cattle had begun to die. 



(2) Feeding was practiced to keep cattle alive, not to fatten them. 



(3) The pastures were worked continually, and a watch was kept for 

 weak cattle. 



(1) The stronger cattle in the feed pens were constantly being- 

 replaced by weaker ones from the pastures. 



(5) From 1 to li pounds of cotton-seed meal were fed to each ani- 

 mal, in addition to all the chopped pear it would eat. 



(6) All except the very weak cattle were allowed the run of the 

 pastures. 



It will be seen from these statements that the stock obtained some 

 feed in addition to the pear and meal, even from the brush pastures 

 where they were djMng before the feeding began. No attempt was made 

 to do anything but keep the animals alive until the drought was 

 broken. An effort was made, however, to give the cattle all the 

 pear the}' would eat. As nearly as can be estimated, therefore, 80 

 acres of excellent pear furnished a full ration for an average of 800 

 head of cattle for a period of six months. 



