The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1915-06-07
SPINELESS CACTI
IN NEW MEXICO


The term '~'sninelcss.' a. applied 90
cacti. include all the forms that
have very few 90 practically NO
spincs. such forms have been Hnown
iu various countries for many years
'Spineless oactl," then. are not recent
creations" in the plant kingdom.
Tho advertising they have gotten In
tho last few years has called attention
to them widely ln the tinted states
no a possible crop Co furnish forage
Ia the arid southwest This article
prcsumcs to cal only with conditions
&c.. New Mexico.
AS yet the "spinelcss" coetns has
not pro,en % Co hc recommended
tu be- grown widely In our state. It's
growth Be- Restricted. naturally. lH
New Mexico. b. three f~actors-tem-
peraturc, moisture, and rodent en-
emies, economically one must con
slider what is the cost Ia grow q as
"a crop. q its grown D. possible. and
whether the returns from it will pay
over some other crop.
Any Of the Kinds Of 'splueless"
.caoti tried AT IN" experiment station
IN New Mexico and at the Arizonr
station. h. we'll. have frozen o. the
ground. ms "a rule. az about 10 de
grees r., ana have been badly dam
aged 1y even higher temperatures
Possibly the highest average min
imum temperature for any locality
In the state is about 10 Fin che
lower Pecos valley. The minimum
varies In localities to way below
zero in the mountains. Al this OK
pertinent station in 1919 the lowest
record was -S r.. This year with a
minimum OF ~ r., 'spinelesa" cacti
left out-of-doors to test their h8rdI-
hood. an froze nearly to the ground
The roots are alive lt this time Of
writing ana tho plants are scudinp
out new growth.
our precipitation worries In locall-
ties from about incheh a year tu
about 40 inches q year. Cucti have
to nave water IL they are grown
pruhtably. Too little water maRes
poor increase. without natural
water supply the cost of growing d.
too eroat. The more favorable tenn
peratures are associated usually with
too little water; favorable water sup
ply with too low temperature. siHro
the current growth viii not withstand
the winners, the question b.. win 81
pay Go the crop Tor the sake OF
one years Increase So far as eN-
p%erience goes. the answer rs "No."
The increase would loo too small un-
less the crop were tended. The at
tcntion required would grow q more
profitable crop with the hame ox-
pcusc.
New Mexico is FUN of rodents
JACK rabbits. pack rats. k@anEaroo rats.
ctc.-that delight 90 eat even spincd
cacti. \ spincicss variety would not
survive 40 all unless fenced. Fencing
means money outlay ana taken OF
from the ALREADY too small profit.
Tho hrst cost 90 The slabs" Is high.
also. tVA
The hope is to set 70 cross between
a Good 'spinolcss" variety aud, a good
native species sd as "a get 81 form
resistant 10 low temperatures. In tho
meantime the spined species of cacti
pH"r more tndueemeut a "A crop in
New Mexico. They can be srown
WITH not much trouble on land not
disable Tor more valuable crops, they
VIII Withstand tho low temperature
nnd most Of the rodent attack, ana
the spiHes may ho singed on before
TIE slabs are TO be fed to stock.
~ ~ MERRflio
Entomologist
State College. n. II.
Heraia want a mes umes-s