The Anaconda standard., 1899-03-26
CAMEL OF THE AMERICAN DESERTS.
Many and Various Benefits Obtained
From the Thorny Cactus.

The cactus has been called the veg
etahle camel of the desert. With one
or two exceptions the cactus belongs en-
tirely to the Americas, and the regions
where they thrive best are those where
no rain falls for three-fourths of the
year Each plant has its own reservoir
in which 1t can store up moisture
against the long months of parching
drouth. These reservoirs are so con-
structed that the water inside lasts
from one rainy season to the next. In
Mexico Texas and California the cactus
is more plentiful and everywhere the
traveller is startled by the appearance
of these monstrous plants, some of
them rising like petlified giants,
stretching out their arms in speeches.
pain. While others stand like lonely SEN
'tinels keeping their dreary watch on
the edge of preclp!ces'
Most people have forgotten the cactus
mania of so or 70 years ago, but it de-
serves to be remembered with the tulip
mania of the seventeenth century and
the orchid mania of to-day. Perhaps
there has never keen anything quite
like the passion for tulips in the seven
teenth century, when single bulbs at a
price of s., 200 became subjects for spec
ulation. after the manner of railway
scrip Those were the South sea bub-
can the cactus mania of 1880 compare
with the orchid boom Of to-day, with its
single plants changing hands at 81 500
to $2,000 and its private collections val
ued at $15O,00O to 100000. Not in money
value-though single plants have
brought $3.50 each-but in the unique in
terest attaching to its objects. is the
cactus sage worthy of being brought to
mind.
fa,, nrio nd
yet bear fragrant blossoms in t1It dark
hours of midnight that fade in a few
short hours Frequently one of the pom
derous plants will turn the scale at a
ton weight They can protect them
selves from the hoofs of wild horses
and suck nutrment out of hard, cold
rocks. Sometimes cactus will reach TO
a height of 70 feet and again will he 80
small it may be covered with a thimhle
or a teacup. There is one particular
cactus which owes its scientific name
to the discovery by Mexicans for the
fact that its numerous spines make ex-
cellent toothpcks
Another cactus belonging to the same
genus furnishes the native Indian of
Mexico with a boiler in which to cook
his dinner. Shaped somewhat like u
squat cyclinder, and having a tough
shell, 1T is only necessary to scrape out
InE puppy 1llHSS IiiSlut anu tiiFI picte II
over the fire. filled with vegetables and
water AS the plant is common there
is no need for the tribe to burden itself
with this mproVised caldron when the
march is resumed, as the next hating
place may be relied upon to provide its
own boiler IT is also recorded in the
history of this plant that its juices have
saved the lives of men who must other
wise have died of thirst.
There is an interesting fact to be re-
corded of the old man cactus" The
hoary locks, which are responsible for
its name, cling more thickly about 1t in
youth than in old age; when it looks
old it is young and wh&n it looks young
it IS old
Of course scientific men will scoff at
the theory that cacti were created last
of all living things, and then were al
lowed to mold themselves into parodieS
of other plants and man and his works,
but, really, a skillful advocate might
make out good case for such theory.
The cactus is something of a humOr-
ist in his way. He offers man boiler
in which to cook his dinner, and then
hands him a tOOthpick in the most ap-
proved extra attentive waiter style, but
these services do not exhaust his utili-
tartan merits.
If you want a hedge for your estate
or back garden a good serViceable
hedge which is warranted to keep
neighbor Smith and his dogs and his
cats in their proper Station-then you
may be commended to the Opuntia gen.
us of the cactus family with unreserved
confidence, The spines of these plants
are armed with barbs more formidable
than those of the wire fence.-Pear-
sons Magazine.