Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1908-08-15

w III LA III 1x4xCxxk w 4S44 &-S94SSASS |
Representative J. o. Boyle of |
Goodland, Sherman county, Kas.,
is in Topeka today on business |
connected with local manufactur
ing house in which he has an in
terest, having just returned
from California. Mr.. Boyle talk
ed of his plan to revolutionize the
beef industry of Kansas and up
set all calculations on the output
of agricultural products of the
state. He is conducting test or
demonstration of the wonderful
growth and productiveness of
the Burbank thornleSS cactus in
every county in the west part of
the state and within couple of
years at the most he predicts
that the cactus era of stock food
will have made the alfalfa era a
weak and insignificant thing.
Luther Burbank, the seed king,
as is we'll known has at last sue
ceeded in crossing the thornleSS
with the thorny cactus and pro
duced thornleSS plant that has
all the best and none of the bad
qualities of either plant. The
leaf of the thorny cactus is a
rich and luscious provender for
cattle but the thorns make it inn
possible for them to eat it, while
! the old. time thornless variety
was slow growth and had little
or no tender food properties.
The Burbank thornleSS cactus
tplants grow and multiply like
Jonah's gourd. Fifty plants set
out in the spring will multiply in
to 1000 to $500 by fall This
product will yield from rs to 100
tons to the acre, where treated
as an annual, will grow under the
most unfavorable conditions and
requires but very little water.
Mr.. Boyle had with him q
specimen of the leaf or slab of
the thornleSs cactus taken from
one of the original cuttings from
Mr.. Burbank's experience on
: the farm. 1t bears out in every
way the claims of it's friends
A California company have
; started an experiment farm on a
} big scale on the Pacific coast and
: propose to raise these thornleSs
: cactus plants for seeds for the
) world. They will grow in arid
l counties where no other form o.
) vegetation will grow at all
According to Mr.. Boyle this cac
, tus will produce the equiv
: alent of 25 to so tons o
5 alfalfa to the acre on the cheap
| - 10 Il 18th Hal.
e or no water. 1t is declared ais
t that the fruit that develops from
h the bloom on the plant is delici
: Gus and healthful for man as wei
: as beast.
t If Mr.. Boyle succeeds in hi
n demonstration of the growth an
l. value of this thornless cactus i
l. western Kansas to the point tina
/. meets his expectations he Wi
o make the western part of thi
l. state the most prosperous froI
<. an agricultural standpoint {
# of any section in the entir
IS country. The claims of thos
e men behind the cactus movemer
IS as provender for cattle are a
10 vivid as an Arabian Nights story
But regarded from the mos
10 serious and practical point {
v view this enterprise is worthy {
a careful consideration and wi
Y. bear watching by ever ma
IS who has arid or cheap Ian,
ID Luther Burbank has declare
TO that he can make the growt
t. of cactus profitable on Ian
id worth $1,000 per acre, an
is it produces with little cash OIL
r. lay for water or cultivation. a
is enormous yield on the poorest I
TX land under the most unfavorab
y, climatic conditions. For see,
IS ing purposes it is cut up an
TO started like potatoes. Each plal
produces other plants startin
on the ratio of three to one co
tinuing on the multiple systeI
Topeka State Journal.