Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-09-17

with dessert. can be made from its prod
ucts. Delicious soup is made from the
roots. which also are boiled and made
into -four. The leaves and stalks furnish
variety of salads and other nourishing
dishes-boiled. fried or baked-that arc
delighting to the palate. The fruit of the
tplant is delicious in its raw state and can
be made into many sweet dainties for
the table. Both the fruit and the leaves
make ideal preserves. far SURPRISING the
citron. The pulp is a most nourishing
and pleasant food when eaten either
cooked or raw. The Indians used to live
on the pulp OF the prickly cactus when
travelling the desert. They were skilled
in stripping the spines from the leaves
and would eat II cooked and uncooked.
Civilized man. however. has found ii i'm
possible to get at the food protected by
the cactus piercing armor. and hence,
solely because OF these spines. the cac-
tus until now has remained the useless
product OF a useless land. each seeming
to mock mans efforts to employ it to
commercial advantage.
CACTUS CHEESE.
Cactus cheese. like many other cheeses,
| Is not relished by the uninured. but the
taste for II grows with practice until it
comes to be regarded as a dainty moTsel.
IL looks very much like a fine grade 90
chocolate. 1t is made up in packages
about the size OF a pound Of butter.
wrapped in tinfoil to preserve 1t from
deterioration. and is eaten with as much
delight by the epicure as that individual
shows in devouring some other kinds az
cheese which call for acquired taste to
permit OF thorough enjoyment Those
who are best acquainted with the prcduc.
declare that when the taste is once ac-
uuired the cheese is a most appetizing
addition to the well garnished table.
Through other methods Of preparation
there can be manufactured a cactus
syrup. and a sort OF jelly which may be
; eaten with bread or crackers, like the
finest Scotch marmalade or American ap-
pie Jelly. ..
The Wizard Of Santa Rosa, Luther Bur-
bank. has been the leader In developing
, the cactus. and TO his experiments are
we indebted for many of our new fruits
and vegetables.
After he proved the practicability the
government took II in hand and has
spent large sums of money and encour-
aged in many ways the experimenters.
A Mr.. Scripps has proved that as a COM
mercial venture 1t is a success. and DR..
Grifiths of the agricultural department
thinks that in a few years our great
American desert will be covered with
verdant growth Of cactus that can be
turned to some account for man and
beast
1 remember that II is used in Florida
for a poultice. and that a tea is made OF
1t. although right now 1 can't remember
what the tea was good for. Samples have
beer sent TO Italy and the experiments
there have been successful. A Mr.. Gowan
says that over there IL is given wide
spread respect on account of its medicinal
qualities.
Experiments are being conducted with
. varieties in East Lake Park, Los An
geles, and at the Public park at Riverside.
Cal
AS IL thrives best on land absolutely de-
void Of moisture. and averages about 60
per cent of moisture. the question natur-
ally arises. Where does the moisture come
frcm? II is a wonder and I am glad that
lit is ut last coming into it's own. In our
Florida home others looked after the
roses and geraniums. but my grandmoth-