Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-11-29
ARIZONA CACTUS FARM,
Novel and Lucrative Industry Carried
On by a German Scientist.

A mile south Of Phoenix. close by the
usually dry channel of Salt River, is one
Of the oldest farms in America. 1t is
planted to nothing but cactus of every
torn found within America. Each kind is
cultivated under the same conditions that
pieNiIi upon its native heath. to as great
an extent as IS possible. and most of them
thrive well under the hot skies of south
ern Arizona. cared for by experts.
The main owner of the farm is DIR. r. f.
kunz. college bred German scientist.
their cousins his life work. A physi-
clan, he has particularly studied the
plants for the possibility of securing pro-
ducts valuable in medicine And the utili-
tartan side has appealed to him in other
WAYS and he knows the plants wherefrom
come good fruit, those that bear good
water for the thirsty desert traveller and
those useful to the architecture Of the
aboriginal house builder. Arizona has be-
come the source Of supply for cactus for
most Of the botanical gardens Of the
world. and this demand for plants has in
creased till a lucrative industry mas arts
On from what would seem to the unn-
itiated one Of the most unpromising in the
world.
The most prominent of the cacti of the
garden is the saguaro. 1t is one Of the
landmarks Of the desert. Its large white
flowers cover the end Of every branch in
April and May. followed by a greenish
yellow fruit. which. when it bursts. dis
closes scarlet pulp filled with black
seeds. This is very nutritious.
Another SDetiPS OF 1bf STtdteT II
not attraction. is cereus thurheri or playa
of the natives, which was named after the
lat DIR. George Thurber, editor of the
American Agriculturist of New York Its
northern limit is IL miles from Phoenix
in southWeSterly direction. and extends
into Sonora southwark. The flower Is
white. nocturnal and smaller than that of
the SaguarO.
The fruit of this species is of delicious
taste and for months is the support of
tribes Of Indians who then feast upon IT.
The pulp is also dried for future use. ana
a syrup as well as an Intoxicating liquor
is made from the fresh fruit The Yaquis.
Pepagoes and Pimas largely subsist on
the fruit of this cactus The stem OF TINS
cactus grows from six to twenty feet
high. n,
Pcrhars the queerest cactus of all
America is cereus greggil of Arizona,
known to Mexicans as jara matraca. Uh-
like any other cactus II has very large
tuber in place of fibrous roots ana II re-
ssmbIes a great sugar beet below the sur
face. growing from two to four fest high,
as ihick a S a finger and cover ed with very
short spines. The tnber IS medicin ~
Arizona night blooming cereus. fragrant,
the flower white and large as saucer.
EngIemanns hedge hog cereis. known
cIumps Of from two to twenty joints. hav-
irg very large brownish white spines.
from one to one and a half feet in height
lis briIliant rose-colored flowers, very
fragrant. appear in April. and by the lat
ter mari Of May are followed by n crimson
edible berry Of the size and favor Of
large strawberry.
"opintia" is the prickly pear family. Of
winch we have many species of various
coIors TIE fat-iointed bear in some
cases fine fruit while the round-branched.
often twisted like rope. have woody
fruit unfit for food. These are met with
on The desert. tableiand and mountains
T,nt most of these are seen together cuti-
waited or the cactus farm near Phoenix
Los Angeles Times.