The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1912-06-20
LANDS FORbBURBANK
Chance for Wizard" to Reclaim
Desert Regions.
BILL NOW BEFORE CONGRESS
Plan Is to Demonstrate That the
SplneIess Cactus, Valuable ~
Domestic Animal Forage, Can 8,
Be Grown In Seml-Arld ~
Districts.
BY GEORGE CLINTON.

cultural department are showing great
interest in bill which has been fav-
orably reported from the house conn
mittee on public lands to turn over
under certain conditions semi-arid
lands in California, New Mexico, Ar.
IONA and Nevada to Luther Burbank
of Santa Rosa, CAL, in order that he
may be given q chance to demonstrate
that spineless cacti, valuable for do
nestle animal food, can be grown
there, and thus desert lands be made
profitable. .,..
Representative Raker of the com.
mittee on public lands has submitted
a favorable report to the house asking
that the lands be turned over to Mr..
Burbank for experimental purposes
and In his report he says that there
seems to be no doubt that the Call
fornian has propagated spineless
cactus most valuable for forage, which
If properly introduced may revolu-
tionize the agricultural conditions in
many of the seml-arid and arid reg.
ions OF the southwestern part Of the
United States"
In the favorable report on the bill
an explanation Is made of the terms
under which Mr.. Burbank can take
over these great tracts Of land for ex-
perimental purposes. The report says:
I'm order to encourage these expert
mentations, 1t Is proposed to permit
Mr.. Burbank, after 1t is demonstrated
to the satisfaction of the secretary Of
the interior that said cacu can be thus
commercially and protitably prepared.
to purchase the amount Of land as
stated in the bill at the usual price OF
$1.25 per acre If without the railroad
limits and $3.50 an acre If within the
said limits At tho present time tho
lands in question are without any com
mercial value.
Experiment In Deserts Wanted.
1T should also be stated that Mr..
Burbank is now propagating these cac.
tt, and selling the same to all corners
at reasonable price, but these plants
are going into sections of California
chiefly where their growth and propa.
cation is not attended with any great
expense or uncertainty. It Is the
view of the committee that it is most
desirable to encourage these expert
mentations in the parts Of the arid
and semi-arid southwest which are at
this time practically deserts and now
await development. If this encour
agement demonstrates that these SEQ
lions are suitable for the production
of these cacti, the beneficial results
will be of incalculable value to the
nation"
The public lands committee in it,
report pays high tribute to Mr.. Bur
bank on its own behalf and 1t includes
in its report, which has become pub
lie document, a statement from David
Starr Jordan Of Stanford University
concerning Mr.. Burbank and spineless
cacti.
What Dr.. Jordan Says.
DR.. Jordan has this to say:
I'm developing the spineless cactus
for stock feeding, selections were made
from the three hard northern species,
Opuntia rafnesquii, O. messacantha,
and o. vulgaris, the latter the COM
mon prickly pear; these were crossed
with o. tuna of Southern California,
flcus indica from Alba, Spain, and with
a small opuntfa from Central America,
almost thornless. ~
"T11e cactus Of all species have
smooth cotyledons, but the first bud
is covered with thorns. These thorns
have also been eliminated by selecting
the smoothest individual seedlings
without crossing. Crossing In this
case generally interrurts tho process,