Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1909-09-01
TIE seinES y.a.cAorua. 2
Those who have 6een eagerly awsis-

ing the advent OF the GpineleSs cactus
Will he Interested to know that Il is
already with US. and that. too, without
breeding or selecting. TIE United
States Bu&as OF Plant INDUSTRY, We
are told b. David Grmths. in re
cent bulletin Of the DeDa- tment Of
Agriculture, has been studeing the
matter since 1907; and has collected
and introduced about Is spinelesg
species or varieties, 10 or H. Of which
a.s sOmewAat promising. 1t Is pre-
pairing " send out free for experiment
1900 20 1900 cuttings but only 70
overs who dwell IN the area whore
the plant Will live This ter
r.tory Is comparatively restricted II
aust be borne IN mind Blso, we are
reminded by The Plant World CTuc-
con. AIiz., ApriD. that sp.neless enc
trf VIII not necessarily remain spine
less. UnfayorabIe conditions, such Us
alkaline soil, heat or drought may be
expected % develop the tiny spipes
that most Of them pogsess Further,
SAYS the paper named above:
1t Is essential to remember that
these plants can not be put out 70
sLltt for themselves. they must 10
Tanned Ike any otB"r crop. tho owing
10 their resistance, they permit more
latitude in thctT treu tmeut than most
other plaC's.. The prickiy-pear
plants, as they now ox!st are adapted
10 REGION having Considerable Pain
full but 100 irrog'Aarly distributed for
ordinary cTol-.... They arc Jhe camols
OF the vegetable world. They must
have water, but they can -, along Tor
long periods without Il. What - most
ues'af ,sl ,l. yileless pri"Fly pears
to-day Is creator hardness. but this
q. ,lity con not. Do bred into them in
tHo or three years. IL might DO pos
siule, BY careful breeding a4d aciec-
ton. ga e. oUoaie or more 70 i4oIeae.
the hardness Of tho r1pld-SrJw.us
Dr.ckly pears, 50 as to go. push the
lu't OF tho'r cultivation TO tie north
ward very materially. But this will
take mucH laii ut toll and many year
CT experimentation
There a-e two ways Of ATTACKING,
III problem. One may depend upon
selection alone. 70 gain hardness b.
this method one o,la De obliged o.
d:tca.G the present spineltA5 specie
entirety and work with tire hardy spiny
uatiyeG for it cen not Ue exy cted
thr, tho sDincloss forms cen be so i'm
proved w!thiu themselves ~ to with
stand 25 POT cent moro OF cold than
they 90 now. The other way g 10
hynrlc.1e inc pre5sut spin. -ss forms
with some HANDY plant pos, s7iug O.
many desirable cheracters as possible
THE sAEht variation tnot ocurs iu
Neeetativc propagation renders this
Ire .hod % improvement practically
useless The method % Improvement
by seCd-aelcCtiCp requires several gen
erotlc-5 Oh plants, but when IL Is re
mcmborcd that cocu can be grown
ucm seed only with difficulty and that
SECS egl years are required TO crow q
generation 70 thc stage OF seed pro
4r li-u -le magnitude CT tie tasl,
O. Improving ctcU is easily seen Il
mast be remembered thot neither o.
tna parents 81 really spineies, even
the soCaiied 'lp.ualoss' one haying
some su.ues aEd strong tendency 70
revert 40 a more spiny condition IL
taa-s'l long time 20 breed the spiuos
of entirely, or even practically, but o.
produce a hardy rapid-growing plan,
Should not DO 50 dimcu't provided
ones conception of hardness is moi
too cErc,ug- The prediction is ven
ftrr..t fHa- ~ a..y t.rr,r.,.er.,1rf 6, mod.