THE PRICKLY PEAR PEST. 
The Prickly Pear Pest. 
By J. BURTON CLELAND, M.D. 
The object of this account is not to give a full review of the prickly pear 
problem either from a land-owner’s point of view or from the scientific aspect, 
but to indicate briefly the position of the matter, and the grave probabilities that 
must follow a continued course of laissez faire, and to sum up what may be. 
expected from various practical and scientific methods of controlling and eradi- 
cating the pest. The writer, having been associated with experiments aiming at 
eradicating prickly pear, and having had the opportunity of talking over the 
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matter frequently with his colleagues and knowing their opinions, has had oppor- 
tunities for viewing the problem from points of view not easily accessible to the 
general observer. 
First of all, it must be pointed out that a pest of this nature, though at 
present practically confined to two States, is pregnant with potential, nay with 
actual, danger to the other States on the mainland of this continent. Though 
only the States at present affected are now suffering heavily from a financial 
15 
