Bisbee daily review., 1914-01-21
MEATY FACTS ABOUT
 THE VALUE AS FEED
 OF CACTUS PLANTS
Department of Agriculture CaIls Attention of Stock growers to lts Proper Plant ing and Use

WASHINGTON, Jan. 20.-Cactus plants are known by many people merely as ornamentals, to be cared for in a window garden or hothouse. But. in the Southwest, where some kinds grow to large size. they have a practical value as feed for stock The T. s. Department of Agriculture has for a number of years been making a study of these cacti and has pub lished several reports on the subject. Now comes Bulletin 31, entitled Be havior, under Cultural Conditions, of Species of Known as Opuntia." by David Grifiths. This reports some of the most salient results observed in a comparative investigation carried on at Brownsville, Texas, San Antonio, Texas. and Chico. California. At each place between 600 and 1900 varieties of prickly pear and cane cacd have been cultivated.
 The problem of getting rid of the spines has attracted much attention from cactus growers. Some kinds nat urally have so few splnes that they pass as "spineless." But many of the most vigorous kinds, furnishing the greatest quantity of forage, are well provided with these weapons of de- fense. The more vigorously they grow. the more vigorously their spines grow also. The general result oi the observations seems to be that there is not much promise Of develop ing spineless varieties from these vigorous spiny ones, although 1t IS probable that the existing "spineless ferns are rescended from remote an' cestors of the spiny type. IL even oc' CUTS sometimes that plants go back ward and show spines. although grown from spineless cuttings. One curious D ant an illustration of which IS shown in the bulletin. was spineless on one side and full Of splnes on the other.
 Changes in environment have con- siderable effect on cacti. (The reader may say "cactuses" if he prefers) Southern Texas is generally favorable to the growth of the plant, while at Chico. California it is the develop ment of fruit that is favored When the growth of the plant is hindered, 1t is observed that the development or the very small spines. called spicnles' is increased. All forms thrive best when the moisture supply is lev nur- ing the dormant season. and forms na' tive to a region are productive than these introduced from some other re- zion. Plants that have their season prolonged by being housed increase their growth, but have tendency to avoid the production of fruit. Al san Antonio some kinds appear to have much shorter life than at either ot the other two localities.
 1 The effect of low temperatures Is ' in some cases very pronounced. The plants droop and the tissues weaken at the joints. But in many cases they recover remarkably well. In one case where a loss of at least 90 per cent was estimated from a heavy ireeYe at Chicc- California. the result was an actual loss of not over 2 per cent. But the plants should not be handled at such a time, because a cut CT a l.ruise promotes rapid rotting. spine- less varieties are more likely to be permanently injured by freeze than the spiny kinds.
 In discussing the effect of changed conditions on color. the bulletin c'u's attention to the interesting fact that the ''flcwer of fully One-fourfh or re species change color decidedly as tho day advances. On rare occasions the flowers open the second 4ay ana then the change is still more marked some change from light yellow to pink. others from brick red to rur' rle.' One particular kind of cactus hal flowers ranging from sree'lsh yei.cw to chocolate and Drisat pAr' ple. In color of the plant 'tseii, ah srs cies are ir lined to be hite lncr. gray in the fall and the yo'ng rrowih a little more highly ,r,or' in .he spring at Chico than a' either of he other places where tie r ants are under observat on.
 Cacu is like other plants in the iac' that they too have certain most ure requirement which must be met It has been observed in the experi ments at San Antonio and Browns
 vile, Texas, that native kinds pe ocme badly withered during prolonged periods of drought. Under cultural
 conditions. however, the cacu rare better, for at neither Brownsville San Antonio nor Chico do well estap lishei plants under cultivation ever
 suffer from drought.
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