A WORLD OF GARDENS 
99 
The cactus has many forms. Although 
some may grow to a height of fifty feet and have 
many branches, like the giant cactus, most of 
them are much smaller. A common kind is 
the barrel cactus which is something less than a 
foot across and from a foot to six feet tall. It 
has deep furrows and many sharp thorns. An¬ 
other common variety is the prickly pear, which 
has flat, jointed stems shaped something like 
the sole of a big shoe. It has prickles instead 
of thorns. Because of their ability to store large 
amounts of water, the members of the cactus 
family are found in dry regions where very 
few other plants can grow. Such places are 
Mexico, Arizona, New Mexico, and Southern 
California where the climate is dry. 
The Arabs, who know all about dates because 
they depend upon them for food, have an old 
saying that the date palm must have its feet in 
the water and its head in the furnace. As a 
matter of fact, date palms only grow in the oases 
or parts of the desert where there is some water. 
Nothing can grow where there is no moisture 
Cacti are found 
in dry places 
