The farmer and mechanic., 1909-10-12
The Use of Sacti to save ~.....
Times OF Drouei4t. I"
{By E. O. Wooten. Rotanf

Mexico ENperimen STATIC.
After all that has been u-r.--
cerning spineless cactus as
plant it would seem somer-
perfluous to call the att.r-.
stockmen to the value Of r.
upon their ranges at this se.-.
the year But the mental -r
tween spiny cacti and sDins.-.
seems to be a I0ng one. ana u-. ..
few take readily.
/ quote from a bulletin hr f,
reau Of plant industry. .'TLa Fri 49,.
Pear and Other Cacti as a Fu.. .,
Stock by David Griffths: "r-......
pear, although poor in Dutritlv. . ...-
ity, can be fed to decided adE..- -...
under several conditions and for -..-
eral purposes: (D To save catr[. .....-
ing prolonged drought, When ....-
more nutritious food is scarce.
Now this statement applies /. .~r
kind of cactus that is big eroH-# g..
furnish any quantity of fora4y ..-
ing especially true of the prickIN u...-
and cane cacti. The truth Cl this
statement is vouched for by many Nu.o
have tried it.
This IS by no means the only rsa
for cacti, but at this season Of the
wear. when all feed is dry and t"'"
is verv little of it, when the Water
supply is poorest, it would seem q" .a
q most important one.
This short article is written to o.I
the attention of those stockmcn " Ho
have already aVailed themselves "t
the SIMPLY. and more especially those
who are losing stock, to the fact thar
thev proba bly, have upon their ranges
a forage which may be aVaHah.. ''
their stock by llttle Wofh.
Spineless cacti will not grow JIM the
omen range Of New Mexico. I'm ia.t
their thorns and spines together arc
one of the characters that make II mn
nossible for cacti of any kind t" NE"
on the open ranges. And even lH.7
defensive armor is insufficient to pro-
tect them from a NUMBER OF eheli+'
Rut the sDines DO protect them from
stock. and before they can be I'M"
into stock feed the spine must h' ''
strOyed.
Fortunatelv the spines burn read"..
hance If is possible to SINCE them off
without affecting the stems and ST"
come at the fora ge.-
Two wavS of burning the SplneS h..'"
been shown to be practlcable. '''h
to cut the stalks with a machete o." 4"
sharp spade and hold them IN j1'
blaze of a brush fire with a rlfra-
fork The other is to SINCE them 81.
the plants as they stand with a @as"-
line torch specially made for the
work. This torch is made on t""
principle of an ordinary plunhef IS
torch, with a rather long pipe Iof '--
reservoir and Cne that may be turned
in different directions. Gasoline is r.
fuel and is used under preSsur" :l.I
mixed with air. so it is very essen. i.
that all Joints be gas-tIght ana '|
kept free of gasoline; otherwise ~"i'-
OIe explosions may occur.
The torch method is much the more
rapid and less labOriOus. EXpef"nr"
has shown that it is well to hay" a
good pressure in the tank and aN"id
using the torch in the wind as mu'"
as possible, since this materially I'M
creases the amount Of singeing.
Considering the fact that we have Ill
period of shortage of feed and WA.
each year in the spring and "3It
summer that are drier than usual H@
that time. it would seem but a SPl'~3-
Bile thing for StOckmen to enc01"t@'
the growth of cacti upon those l"H
of their ranges where grass and hr'-
ter forage do not grow we'll; TINS lis
to be done with the idea Of prepatia-
for the lean year"
The easy way Of planting cact ~ t"
scatter the separate joints over tine
ground. They will take root without
covering. The work may be done ut
any season of the year. though a lar|-
ing the rainy season. This statement
applies to the lower and hotter south
ern end of the territory.