The Idaho recorder., 1921-08-26

one of the most curious and interesting OF the
cacti Is the "mescal button" or "peyote.' which
Is a strong stimulant and allays all hunger ana
thirst and fatigue for the time being. The Tara
humare Indians and Hulcholes Of Mexico make
a cult Of the "peyote," going on long pilgrlmages
In search of 1t and employing 1t both medcinaiiy
and religiously as cure for all bodily Ills ana
q powerful aid to abstinence
In certain parts OF Mexico. Sicily and else
where. the natives live almost entirely on fresh
cactus fruits when they are In season. They
grow them in gardens and orchards and often
gather them at dawn when they coolest al
though their temperature Is always below that
Of the surrounding nir They are also used IN
salads preserves. picked with lemons dried, fer-
mented as a beverage. made into syrup called
"tuna honey" thin paste called "meicocha. OF
thick paste similar to guava Jelly Even the
seeds are sometimes dried and saved to use when
the fruits gone.
The barbados gooseberry. used for tarts and
sauces In the West Indies. Is apple-shaped and
decorated with small leaves or bracts. The plant,
pereskla aculeata, Is struggling shrub with
slender branches. recurved prickles glossy y-sreen
leaves and clusters of pae-yeow flowers.
The prlckly pears, or tunas are abundant and
much used. They are pear-shaped or glohuar,
weighing from an ounce to pound; red. yellow.
or purple In color: and usually sweet though
sometimes acid In flavor The skin contains clus-
ters OF tiny spcules, or glochidia which are very
Irritating II taken into the mouth. that care Is
required In peeling them. They are sometimes
called Indian figs or Rnrhary figs because of the
numerous small seeds which they contain. Sew
ernl species Of opuntia are cultivated for their
fruits as we'll as for their edible Joints, The
flowers are large, usually yellow or orange, rarely
rose red.
Delicious fruits are those OF Cercus ptahays
and Its relatives. This species grows To the
height of 90 feet and Its trunk reaches two and
n half feet IN diameter The fruit Is gathered
at dawn with long reed sticks armed with sew
era prongs.
The fruits OF Cereus g,ganteus. a handsom,
cactus of the Southwest. are also much esteemed
either In the fresh state or preserved. They ar,
egr.s shaped. two or three inches long. green ol
the outside and crimson within The strawberr,
near obtained from Cereus trianguiaris Is pear
shaped bright-re with slightly acid pulp. max
ing II desirable In the fresh condition or as nj
ingredient OF the pepper pot of the West In
dies Excellent fruits are also produced b
Lemaireocereus thurhcri and certain other larg
tr.e-cacti and these ''pitahayas" do not have IN
annoying rrickles found In the fruits Of opuntis
"Caramhnllas" the small currantiike fruit
-, Nyr,tl,ocactns They ARE eaten fresh or drie
uk. rntsns The melon cact produce n numhe
NJ small edible fruits resembling tiny scarlet rat
ishes or red peppers, The Mexican strawberr,
found on n species ot hedgehog cactus. Is salmor
rolorpd two inches In length and very sweet
aayor II gets its name from its numerous IN
nn,. se,ls Tetcro flSs SO important To the native
~ southern Puehla. are the fruits Of species
pachyccrcus,
Although many ot the wild cacti furnish val,
ahls food Cor man and beast, IL must he a,
,oi,tpd that there Is room for Improvement bot
In the quantity and the quality et this food
have visited Mr., Burbanks experimental groun,
In California aud fully realize the difficulty
his task In dealing with the caetl and the lmpo
tane, OF his results. His problem To take
vagrant forhtdding plant and dvest II of
thorns and prickies, breed out It's indseStih
woody skeleton and Improve the size and flaw
of It's fruits.
The fruits OF the burbank creations are ov
three inches long usually yellow or red In cole
and have aavors all their own, resembling tho
OF peaches melons, pineapples etc.