Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1908-08-22
new SP|NELESS
CACTUS FOUND
AIamogordo Man Makes Dis
coyery of Species of PrickIy
Pear That Interests Depart
ment of Agriculture.

A.. Il. Dine, OF the progressive
ranchmcn who lives southwest of Ala
mogordo, about three miles and who
is president of the Alamogordo Agri-
%tulture Society. became Interested in
the spineless cactus about IA year ago.
He wrote to the United states depart
mcnt of agriculture for some spoCi-
mems II the so-called Burbank cac-
tus. The experts there Wrot him that
they thought that 1t was useless to
send him the Burbank variety as il
would not prove hardy in NcW MeNi-
co. Instead they sent him some spe-
cimens which are similar to what is
raised in large quantities and very
probably near a Antonio, Texas,
These did quite well.
The AlamoEordo Advertiser says:
However. some time before this, Mr.
Ollie had discovered some specimens
of prickly pear. almost spineless, in
san Andreas canon and he wrote the
department at Washington, that he
believed that he hat some thing SUI
pcrior 10 the Texas cactus, which grew
native here at home. The department
of officials wrote him urging him to
send Them some specimens of the
plant. This he did.
The first of the week prof David
Griffith. a hotauist with the Plant
bureau. L. $. department of a%grIcul-
uure. al Washington, arrived in Ala
mogordo TO Investigate the promising
new discover! Mi. Dillc took him to
the location where he had obtained
The original plant and they found a
number.
Prof Griffith is highly pleased with
the plant and pronounced il an en-
.tircly new species of the pricklS pcor
cactus. that It held out more promise.
mad fewer spiuvs and seemed to.
posses. more merit than any of the
spiuvless varieties of cactus now
known.
1t is of special promise here for it
is known that being native il viii
stand the winters. The only question
that could now arise is as to whether
.it will survive the warmer valley as
well as the cooler where is was
first discovered. 1t grows quite large
and is so free from spiues and spicules
that one can handle il with impuuitN
The species which is grown near
san Antonio. is used for stock food
1t is planted in rows and at the end
OF every three veal furnishes about
sixty tons of uue stock feed. which fed.
with cotton seed meal. is specially.
adapted 90 fattoning cattle. The feed
rs prepared 10y passing gasoline torches
up the row which burn of an of the
.spines. 10 IS then harvested and fed
MIR. Ollie is very sauguine as TO the
value of tho native cactus. and espe-
.ciaily sd since he obtained such a ia
vorabie opinion from am expert on the
subject The native variety which he
D. anted al his home last ear grew
fine. but proved easy prey for the
rabbits So far as known at present
This Is the only drawback il is 50 free
from srines that the rabbits viii eat
"a unless Il is protected The cactus
will grow in amy desert place. without
irrigation. and II Il viii average TWEEN
~ tons Of valuable forage per year.
must prove valuable.
Prof Griffith spent several days I'm.
the mountains east of Alamogordo.
looking up the native nora. and es-
pecialIy to stud the habits and spe-
ciaI characteristics 81 the new and
promising native cactus.