72 QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. [1 Ave., 1902. 
Opinions vary somewhat as to its feeding value. Some say, “Oh, well, it will 
keep the cows alive.” That certainly is a consideration, but others assert that their 
cows keep up both condition and yield of milk; while one affirmed that the milk did 
not increase in quantity, but was much richer than before, and the condition of the 
stock improved. I am now experimenting ona couple of cows kept for home use, but 
with me the pear ration is an addition to and not a substitute for their present too 
scanty supply of other food, and already I note an improvement in quantity of milk, 
while the butter obtained is pronounced faultless (and there are some very sensitive 
palates in our house). Such succulent food, like immature greenstuff, if not in itself 
very nourishing, must also act as a corrective to the dry fodder to which the animals 
are otherwise limited just now. 
In conclusion, I may say that I do not think the mere quality of a paper 
(embodying one man’s opinion) read at such a gathering as this is of as much 
importance as the discussion on it, and the consequent bringing out of the opinions of 
many men. Though the present extensive use of the pear as fodder can hardly be 
considered as an important factor in dealing with or controlling what has hitherto been 
deemed a most troublesome pest, yet some useful information may be elicited if time 
permit and the subject be thought worthy of discussion. [A farmer at South Pine 
lately futtened fourteen pigs on prickly pear.—Ed. Q.4.J.] 
Mr, Pearson W. Cameron (Ipswich): I certainly think that we may use 
the prickly pear as fodder in bad seasons. JI used it myself for the first time 
about three years ago, and found no ill effects from its use, and I tried it again 
about six monthsago. I have heard on some hands that the prickles are very 
injurious. Every farmer, however, occasionally has cattle that die on his 
hands, and when such events have happened to myself, and I have been feeding 
prickly pear at the time, I always hold a sort of post-mortem on the beast. On 
these occasions I have never found any prickles in the animals’ stomachs, 
provided of course that the pear was fed after having been properly boiled. If 
you use it, it stands to necessity that you must feed some other fodder with 
it, and it is desirable that this should be of a dry nature. Dairy cattle I have 
found come on in their milk if they are fed with prickly pear mixed with some 
other stuff. .Some feed the pear hot, but I do not hold with this. Cattle and 
horses get fond of the boiled pear, and I have frequently known them to take 
it in preference to other really good foods. 
Mr. J. W. Les (Zillmere) : I was led by what I saw in the papers to try 
the pear, and have been quite satisfied with the results sofar. The cattle seem 
to be better, and, moreover, the quantity of butter we now get from our milk 
is really surprising. I boil the pear, and this is sufficient to soften the small 
prickles. Boiling has no effect on the long prickles, and therefore I singe 
them oyer a fire preparatory to boiling. I feed the pear mixed with a little 
pollard, oats, or lucerne. The cattle then eat it ravenously, and it appears to 
have done them a wonderful lot of good. I consider it a very cheap fodder for 
cattle. I have to cart what I use 2 or 3 miles, and get a quantity from 
Sandgate. If the pear is boiled, and the long prickles singed over a fire, I do 
not think the slightest harm will occur to cattle fed on it. 
Mr. J. Germatn (Ipswich): I have very little to add to my paper, but I 
may mention one rather novel method of feeding the prickly pear to cattle. 
Brushwood is piled all over an isolated clump of pear and then fired. This 
destroys all the prickles, and the cattle are then allowed to approach and eat 
the singed pear. 
The Hon. D. H. Datrympte: I am going out to the Westbrook State 
Farm to-morrow, and I propose laying before the manager the advisability of 
his trying some experiments, conducted on scientific lines, with regard to prickly 
pear; that is to say, I shall see whether it will not be possible for him to 
draft off a certain number of cows, and feed them on the various fodders in 
eneral use ; then to feed another lot on these fodders mixed with prickly pear, 
and, finally, to feed a third lot on prickly pear alone. The results, of course, 
would have to be carefully weighed, and, if we are able to arrange for the carry- 
ing out of the experiment, we ought to get some really useful information. I 
may here take this opportunity of mentioning that I have received a letter from 
Mr. A. W. Cameron, the president of the Wide Bay and Burnett Pastoral and 
