THE FODDER PLANT FOR ARID REGIONS. 
27 
CACTUS FOR STOCK. 
[From The California Cultivator.] 
Many readers have read about the cactus or 
Prickly Pear which grows on the Great American 
Desert. This cactus is protected by sharp, stout ( 
thorns, which cut like a knife and remain painfully 
in the wound. Cattle are sometimes seen with 
these fearful thorns sticking in their lijas and tongue, 
which indicates that in their thirst or hunger they 
are willing even to brave tbese weapons in order 
to secure the cactus. No one could expect them to 
furnish a Thanksgiving dinner for stock. The 
Desert is well covered with them in many places, and 
scientists and practical cattle men alike believe 
that if the spines could be removed the plant would 
offer fair food for stock. Various plans were tried 
for getting riel of the spines. The latest is found 
in a bulletin issued by the Arizona Station. It 
appears that a special burner for singeing cactus 
has been invented. It uses gasoline and gives a 
fierce heat and flame. The operator carries the 
gasoline tank on a strap fitted over his shoulder. 
The burner is supplied from this tank by means 
of a tube and can be held out at arm’s length on 
the end of a rod. This appliance is moved over the 
cactus, so that the spiner or teeth are singed off, 
the whole thing being much like a gasoline torch 
often used by plumbers. It was found that from 
7,000 to 11,000 pounds of cactus forage can be 
singed in one day at a cost of about $2.40. The 
cattle ate the fodder greedily after the spines were 
burned off; in fact they devoured the plants down 
to the ground at the risk of destroying them, so 
that now only half of the plant is singed at one 
time. This leaves half uneaten and the other part 
grows up again. The cactus plant contains on an 
average over 75 per cent of water and over six per 
cent of protein, which latter is about half the 
amount found in a sample of wheat bran. It 
would seem as though Nature had placed this food 
before cattle while in her most bountiful moocl, and 
then in a moment of caprice has put on the spines 
to keep them away from it. This simple oper¬ 
ation of singeing provides a new and excellent 
forage for range cattle. 
CACTUS FEEDING. 
[From The Southern Cultivator.] 
Out in the cactus section where they feed the 
spiny cactus they have several ways of making the 
thorny stuff possible for the stock to eat it. The 
least troublesome way is to go around the bunches 
with a long handled knife and trim the edges ol 
the lobes and then the cattle can nibble at it very 
gingerly, for while the outer rim is taken off there 
are hundreds of bristling spines to contend with 
and stick fast in the tender mouth. Mr. Johns 
of Colorado steams the cactus and this softens 
them so they are not so dangerous. In Texas they 
have cutting machines and generally when they 
cut the cactus up they do not burn the spines oil' 
first, but where they do not cut it they singe them 
off with brush fires, not an inexpensive experiment 
in a country where fuel is scarce. So the problem 
is to finally raise a spineless variety that will re¬ 
quire no singeing, cutting or steaming. A cow 
will eat 70 pounds of the prepared cactus in a day 
and it keeps up the flow of milk. 
TRYING TO GET CACTUS’ SECRET 
Professer endeavoring to discover from whence 
cometh its water. 
[From The Monterey (Mexico) News.] 
Prof. A. F. Collyer, of Massachusetts, an author¬ 
ity on cacti and other desert plants, is in Monterey 
now and will remain here several days. Prof. 
Collyer has been in Mexico about six,weeks and 
has visited many different localities in search of 
rare specimens of the cacti. He has shipped several 
lots to the United States and stated yesterday that 
lie expected to make some new discoveries before 
lie reached the border at Eagle Pass. The professor 
is accompanied by two assistants and the driver 
of the stage, in which they are traveling. Most of 
the distance is covered afoot, however, as all three 
of the parties are making researches for the benefit 
of science. Many curious discoveries have been 
made by the party and it is probable that most 
of them will find their way to the various botanical 
gardens throughout the United States. 
In speaking of his profession, for Prof. Collyer 
says the study of the cactus plant is a profession: 
“Mexico offers a broader field than all the rest of 
the world,” began the scientist. “There are more 
varieties of the plant in this country than any¬ 
where else. Few people realize that the cactus is 
distinctly an American plant. It grows in North, 
Central and South America, but the mountains 
and deserts of the rest of the world know nothing 
of this peculiar plant. 
Another point advanced by Prof. Collyer was that 
all desert cacti had thorns or spines, which perhaps 
told the history of their being so plentiful in some 
parts of the world. Were it not for these thorns 
and spines, the plants would have long ago been 
destroyed or devoured by man or animal. There 
are some species of cacti that are edible. The In¬ 
dians of the southwestern part of the United States 
eat certain kinds of cacti and the fruits of many 
varieties are delicious. Here in Monterey one can 
get all sorts of cacti fruits offered for sale by the 
vendors and market merchants. 
Scientists are endeavoring to discover how to 
make the cactus an animal food. When this dis- 
eovery is made it will mean much to the cattle¬ 
men of Mexico as well as those of the United States. 
Another thing is, where does the cactus get the 
water that goes to make up its substance? 
“This question is one that as yet has never been 
studied scientifically until recent years. Scientists 
are now making extensive researches and once the 
facts become known, it will naturally be of great 
benefit to the Americans of whatever country. 
There are some of these plants that contain as much 
as SO per cent water and still they are to be found 
miles and hundreds of miles away from rivers, 
creeks and wells, nor have any rains visited the 
sections in modern times. Now the question is, 
where does this plant get the water? It may draw 
it from the clouds or from the earth and this is is 
just the information we are seeking. 1 hope that 
the scientific world will have these facts in its 
possession before another year rolls by.” 
The party on leaving here today or tomorrow 
will go in a northern direction and expect to reach 
the border in a couple of months. They are taking 
their time and pitch camp whenever they ieel 
so inclined. It is probable that after crossing the 
river at Eagle Pass the party will continue on its 
way to Arizona or New Mexico where additional 
searches will be made. 
Prof. Collyer is writing several articles on the 
cactus plant which should prove interesting reading 
when completed. 
