The Socorro chieftain. [volume] (Socorro, N.M.) 1902-1959, 1908-10-24
CULTIVATION OF THE CACTUS
Doctor Tinker Writes Interesting
Articles 70 Show Importance
of That Subject.

San Antonio, n. NJ, Oct. Is.
Frequent reference was made in
the recent Irrigation congress by
speakers and writers TO New
Mexico as the land OF the Gao
tus and the Mesquite" the intl-
nation being that the cactus
was one of the most noticeable
things that could stand tue ARID
conditions OF this territory wItn-
out irrigation. 1t can Ue found
in our dryest sections from the
mountain tops to the valley >,
and is capable OF standing all
sorts of Ill treatment and yet
live. A farmer living not tar
from here turned over one OF the
plants and exposed the roots to
the sun, thinking To Kill 1t. Not
long after he was astOnI>ned to
find that 1t had started new
roots and was growing finely.
That was seven years ago. De-
string TO test the vitality OF the
cactus still further, he continued
to uproot it every spring. He
informed me recently that the
plant still flourishes; and we
have found that the cactus can
be cut in pieces, and if properly
managed, every piece will take
root and grow. These facts
show how easy will be the pro-
pagation and culture OF this
wonderful plant. 1t would seem
to be the one plant in all the
world to reclaim the millions of
acres of land IN this territory
that never can be irrigated.
Probably not one-tenth OF this
vast domain more than three
times the area of the great state
of Ohio, can ever be reclaimed by
any kind of irrigation. Dry
farming will reclaim some of this
land, but the greater part is
clearly the home of the cactus
and the wild animals that chiefly
subsist upon it. The thorns on
these wild plants alone prevent
stock from feeding on them ex-
cept when forced by starvation,
They have then been seen TO eat
the cactus till the blood runs
from their mouths. The nutri-
tive value of the cactus is un-
questioned and the fierce thorns
and briStles alone have prevent
ed its extinction by wild ami
mails long ago. 1t is believed by
many that this wild cactus plant
is the only hope of ever reclaim'
ing our waste lands, for it is
known that the spines and spic-
ules can be removed by scientific
culture and breeding, that its nu'
tritive value as stock food can be
greatly improved, and even its
fruits can be improved and made
to serve as a valuable food for
man. There are few plants, in
deed, that offer such an inviting
and wide field for improvement
that promises so much ultimate
ly for the welfare of humanity
Up to this time there has beer
no systematic effort made to i'm
prove our native hardy cactus
However, the past winter Mr.. {
B. Allaire, a merchant of this
town, and an able and scientific
man, and myself commenced tn,
search for valuable wild plants
and began their culture. W.
now have probably all of tn
most valuable plants within
radius of fifty miles of this place
We have over four hundred o
them, and the past season mad
some three hundred hand pollen
ations of the flowers, resulting i
many crossed and hybrid fruits
We have thus made a beginnin
in the work Of improving on
wild cactus.
This work, however, was nc
begun until we had aScertaine
that no hardy thornless cactu
adapted for culture in this terr
tory had been produced or founC
There are many thornless cac
growing in Mexico, and many
these have been introduced in tn
southern part of Europe, wheI
their value for stock feeding an
for their fruits have long bee
known. These cacti and othel
IRON Mexico and South AmeriC
have been improved by Luth'
Burbank, but all are semi-troPi
al plants that will stand only
degrees Fahrenheit, and wou
be killed in this climate by Il
first hard freeze in November.
1t has been proposed to tire
these thornless plants like pot
toes and try their culture her
They would have to be plante
out every spring, and put in
storage before frost every ia
If Mr.. Burbanks' Santa Ros
~ H.