SPECIES OF CACTUS OF FORAGE VALUE. 37 



where the cactus is already very thick. As stated above, large pieces 

 of the joints, and often two or more whole joints, fall on the ground 

 and are left there by the animals, they being able to handle the por- 

 tion on the stem to better advantage. Some of these pieces die. but a 

 very large percentage strike root and grow, thereby thickening the 

 pear thickets unnecessarily. In some places the pear is already so 

 thick as to interfere with grass production, and the condition is aggra- 

 vated by the careless practice of slashing the pear in the field, thereby 

 scattering it into unoccupied areas, where it takes root and thickens 

 up. to the detriment of more valuable feed. With care on the part of 

 the herder this could be very largely avoided. All that is really nec- 

 essary in order to give the sheep and goats a good chance at the pear 

 is to take off the edge of the big round joint. It is on the edge that 

 the greatest number of the most offensive spines occur. Taking off 

 this portion exposes the pulpy substance so that the animals can readily 

 nibble it. However, instead of merely taking off the edge the care- 

 less pastor slashes right and left, with no object but to expose the plant 

 to the animals. The result is as stated above. The pear is spread by 

 this artificial means in areas where it is already too thick. This exces- 

 sive cutting of the pear can especially be avoided in the feeding of 

 sheep and goats, for they prefer, and it is the custom to give them, the 

 younger, more tender joints. The remaining more solid portions of 

 the plants are preferred for feeding cattle. So far as the writer is 

 aware, no definite tests have been made of the comparative nutritive 

 value of different portions of the plants, and it is therefore impossible 

 to state just how much scientific foundation there is for the universal 

 opinion that there is more nutriment in the old stems than in the young* 

 joints. 



SPECIES OF CACTUS WHICH ARE OF FORAGE VALUE. 



The Texas ranchers and the Mexican people generally recognize 

 several varieties of the prickly pear. One often hears the Mexican 

 people apply such names as nopalpellon, nopal agrio, nopal azul, caca- 

 napa, etc.. which express certain characteristics that they recognize. 

 The majority of people, however, recognize two forms, and will point 

 with considerable uniformity to a tall, woody, round, and thin-jointed, 

 thorny, usually single-spined form, maturing in late summer, as a 

 napa^ and all others as nopal. (See Pis. IV and V.) 



The former, they assert, is better feed for horses than for cattle. 

 The cacanapa is doubtless a distinct botanical species, but the other 

 forms are probably variations of a single species. The best pear 

 grows on the best land, and here the plants have much fewer thorns. 

 as a usual thing. The so-called blue pear is also largely an expression 

 of vigor, but is considered the best pear for stock. It is usually free 



