BPuLLeTiN OF THE 
USDEARTHENTOFAGRCULIRE % 
Oo. 208 
Contribution from the Bureau of Plant Industry, Wm. A. Taylor, Chief. 
May 13, 1915. 
YIELDS OF NATIVE PRICKLY PEAR IN SOUTHERN TEXAS. 
By Davin Grirritus, Agriculturist, Office of Farm Management. 
INTRODUCTION. 
When information regarding the value of prickly pear began to be 
demanded some years ago next to nothing was definitely known 
about the handling of the crop on an economic basis. Indeed, so 
far as known, the species of southern Texas had never been system- 
atically planted as a crop. In consequence, some very elementary 
investigations were necessary in order to furnish the required infor- 
mation. First, it was imperative to determine the yields which 
could be obtaimed from the various economic species under cultiva- 
tion. Data on this phase of the investigations have accumulated 
to such an extent as to warrant the publication of a summarized 
statement of yields secured under variable and difficult conditions. 
The difficulty was due mainly to meager facilities and lack of sufficient 
constancy and continuation in organization. Although the conditions 
under which the various yields have been obtained are very variable, 
they are perfectly interpretable, and some of them at least approach 
ordinary farm conditions very closely. 
Yields for the first plantings made were reported in Bulletin 124 
of the Bureau of Plant Industry. Im this first 2-year period a yield 
of about 23 tons per acre was secured for each year. Since that 
time further observations and tests have been possible with plantings 
at San Antonio as well as at Brownsville. These two localities are 
representative of the coastal region of heavy rainfall and of the more 
inland situation of much more uncertain distribution of moisture.’ 
In both places the rainfall is irregular, but at San Antonio it is smaller 
in quantity. It is neither possible nor necessary here to go ito 
details, but the rainfall at San Antonio is not only on the average 
smaller in quantity but also of more irregular distribution than at 
Brownsville. 
1 For a discussion of the relation of the climatic conditions of the San Antonio region to prickly-pear 
culture, see Bulietin 124 of the Bureau of Plant Industry, entitled “The Prickly Pear as a Farm Crop.” 
84730°—Bull. 208—15 
