MALTA AND SICILY. 
131 
The prickly-pear (cactus opuntia) is a 
very common plant here. It is like a cactus 
* 
cultivated in English green-houses, but very 
much larger, as it sometimes attains to the 
height of ten or twelve feet, and the leaves 
are from twelve to eighteen inches in length, 
and one or two in thickness. The whole plant 
is covered with sharp spines. The fruit, 
which grows on the edge of the leaf, is about 
the size of a lemon, but of rather a longer 
form, and has somewhat the appearance of a 
small pine-apple. Many persons consider 
the prickly-pear a delicious fruit, but I have 
not yet learned to like it. The plant is very 
easily propagated, merely by sticking a leaf 
into the ground. The tomata-plant is very 
generally cultivated here, and large quanti¬ 
ties of the fruit are brought to market and 
used in soups and gravies, to which they im¬ 
part a very delicious flavour. 
