I have no time and no desire to introduce these or any other Opuntias and would gladly leave the matter to someone else but so much has been written about them that it seems necessary to have them distributed direct from my own grounds, under my own descriptions so as to avoid as much as possible any misunderstandings, exaggerations or misstatements.
These have all been produced on my own grounds. No person on earth has a plant or a cutting of any of these except five cuttings, one each of the new "Santa Rosa," "Sonoma" "California," "Fresno" and "Chico" which are now being sent to Australia for sale exclusively in the Southern Hemisphere. Yet so-called "Burbank's Thornless Cactus" has been offered for sale by dishonest parties for two years or more in many of the large cities of both hemispheres.
In producing these new Opuntias many years and much thought, labor and capital have been expended, thousands of crosses have been made, and many thousand seedlings raised. The finished product will receive a royal welcome everywhere by those who know.
No cuttings and no plants of those described in Part Third will be disposed of at any price before September first, except that the whole, or not less than one-half interest, including half the stock of any of these new ones will be sold at the prices mentioned. After September first if any variety remains unsold cuttings and plants can be supplied.
The analyses given below are by Professor M. E. Jaffa of the State University.
"SANTA ROSA" (Ficus indica class)
This new creation in Opuntias is a strong, compact grower, producing joints (leaves or slabs) more rapidly than any other in my whole collection whether new or old, wild or cultivated, spiny or so-called spineless. The fat dark green slabs are often two feet long by ten inches wide, smooth and with no thorns and no bristles. The first of its kind. The original plant is only three years old this spring from a seed and yet it is six feet high, six and a half feet across, has now forty-four large slabs and twenty-six have been removed, all of which are now growing plants, besides one sacrificed for the analysis given below. It is a most remarkable three years' growth from one seed. The leaves are rapidly increasing in size each season. One leaf of this with the right to sell in the Southern Hemisphere including all of Africa has been sold to Mr. John M. Rutland of Melbourne, Australia, for one thousand dollars. The number of plants on hand by September 1st, 1907 should be about four to six hundred.
Price for the complete stock before September 1, 1907: $10,000
Analysis (in percents)- Water 94.70; Ash .96; Protein .66; Crude Fiber .75; Starch, etc. 2.88; Fat .05
"SONOMA" (Ficus indica class)
Another new Opuntia that is the same age (three years from the seed) as "Santa Rosa." Its growth is more upright with pale yellow leaves twenty inches long by ten wide and of most remarkable thickness, in this respect excelling all others. Like "Santa Rosa" it has no thorns and no bristles. Fruit is expected on the original plant for the first time this season. One leaf of this also has been sold to Mr. Rutland with right to sell in the Southern Hemisphere including all of Africa.
Price of all stock before September 1st, 1907, old and young complete: $5,000
Analysis (in percents)- Water 94.66; Ash 1.23; Protein.72; Crude Fiber .59; Starch etc. 2.71; Fat .09.
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CALIFORNIA (Ficus indica class)
This grand new Opuntia very much resembles "Sonoma" in its strong upright growth and light colored leaves, which are twenty-two inches long by about twelve wide and extremely thick. Spines and spicules though not absolutely absent are so rare and so in significant as to be almost imperceptible.
Price of all stock complete before September 1st, 1907: $3,000
Analysis (in percents)- Water 94.01; Ash 1.35; Protein .61; Crude Fiber .54; Starch etc. 3.45; Fat .04
"FRESNO" (Ficus indica class)
Still another valuable new creation in Opuntias; this is a crossbred seedling of Smith and unlike its parents and all its seedlings heretofore, has no thorns and no bristles. "Fresno" though only two years old from the seed begins to have leaves eighteen inches long by eight wide, quite thick and dark green. Gives promise of being one of the best new forage and perhaps also fruiting Opuntias.
Price of complete stock before September 1st, 1907: $2,000
"MONTEREY" (Tapuna class)
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This class is hardier, generally more dwarf and even more productive of fruit than the Ficus indica class; the fruit is usually smaller and more egg-shaped, sometimes almost globular. "Monterey" is the most rapid-growing Opuntia and has the largest and heaviest pads, slabs or leaves, of any of this class in my whole collection; they are nearly circular in outline, pale greenish-white, ten or twelve inches across even on one year old plants and are extremely thick. Wholly free from spines except rarely a few short ones here and there; bristles, cottony, harmless. The leaves are yet too precious to spare for analysis; probably very similar to "Chico" as given below.
Price of complete stock before September 1st, 1907: $3,000
"CHICO" (Tapuna class)
"Chico" is one of the two best of my new Opuntias of this class. The plant is an upright, compact grower with large smooth, greenish-white pads which are absolutely spineless and with only small rudimentary bristles. The analysis of Professor M. E. Jaffa of the State University given below shows its great value for food, the amount of fat and starch especially being a surprise.
Price of "Chico" complete before September 1st, 1907: $2,000
Analysis (in percents)- Water 92.74; Ash 1.68; Protein .58; Crude Fiber .75; Starch etc. 4.06; Fat .19
"GUAYAQUIL"
This new Opuntia originated from some seeds sent me from Guayaquil, Ecuador. The Opuntias from this source are somewhat more tender than usual but "Guayaquil" seems to be as hardy as any of the Barbary fig class; the leaves are unusually long, slender, thick and dark glossy green (eighteen inches long by six wide). In this new variety the spines are absent and the bristles so reduced as to be harmless. The strain from which this originated bear large, delicious, yellow fruits and this new creation being thornless and of a new type is of unusual promise horticulturally.
Price of complete stock before September 1st, 1907: $1,000
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HARDY HYBRIDS (Opuntia Hybrida )
I now offer for the first time several hundred hybrids of the great spineless Ficus indica class and my new spineless, bristle less, hardy, northern Opuntia vulgaris (Opuntia vulgaris is hardy in Alaska if covered in winter). These first, new, hardy hybrids, though all grown from seed of 0puntia vulgaris, are upright growers like Opuntia Ficus indica: Leaves three to six inches long by three to four wide, pale bluish-green, and continue to grow throughout the year whenever the mercury is above the freezing point. The plants therefore increase in size very rapidly and may extend profitable field cactus culture half a thousand or a thousand miles farther north than has before been possible.
Prices for complete stock of some of these new hybrids $800.00 to $1,000.00, each before September 1, 1907.
THORNLESS AND SPICULELESS OPUNTIA VULGARIS SEEDLINGS
For some twelve years I have been growing seedlings, much of the time extensively, from the more or less thornless hardy Opuntias, and have at last two varieties with no thorns and no bristles so that they may at all times be handled with safety. The fruit of these, though still small and seedy, is larger than usual, smooth, crimson color and of much better quality than the old Barberry fig, produced abundantly.
Also I have a new seedling with very large leaves and larger fruits; no spines and the bristles practically eliminated.
Prices for complete stock of any of these three varieties: $400 each.
Small Seedlings and Hybrid Seedlings of nearly thornless Opuntias of several species and numerous varieties per hundred, $30; per thousand, $200.
Purchasers will do well to multiply these new creations in Opuntias as rapidly as possible, as there will be a great demand for them.
It is to be hoped that all reasonable questions have been forestalled somewhere in this catalogue, as our time is of extreme value. If any questions need be asked they should be brief and strictly to the point.
Thornless Cactus cannot be raised from seeds: Do not ask for them. Cuttings should always be wilted before planting.
Few of the cacti are of any economic value except the Opuntias; of these there are more than one hundred and thirty species and innumerable varieties; all are probably origin-ally natives of America and were cultivated by the Indians long before Columbus discovered America. No class of plants are more easily grown, soil is not of much importance and cultivation almost or quite unnecessary.
For the fruiting Opuntias eighteen thousand pounds of fruit per acre is found to be a common crop on the poorest soils. The fruits differ in various ways like apples, plums or peaches. By analysis they are found to contain about fourteen per cent of sugar besides a small amount of protein and fat. Some contain more of these, some less. Either may be greatly increased by breeding and selection as in the apple, peach, sugar beet and most fruits and vegetables.
The Ficus indica class has larger and fleshier fruits with fewer seeds than the Tuna. Some of the earlier varieties ripen in June and July, the later ones in November and through the winter. Most of them commence bearing about the third year from cuttings.
To prepare the fruit for use cut a thin slice from each end through the skin, then slit from end to end when the skin may be readily removed.
[From Bailey's Cyclopedia of Horticulture]
"Although extensively cultivated for their fruit in many countries where they furnish an important article of diet for four to five months each year, they do not as yet take a pomological rank with the horticulturist, though they are much more widely used and of far more economic importance than many plants which have been established place in pomological literature."
"With these and more qualities to recommend them it yet remains for horticultural enterprise to develop a spineless and bristleless variety that will not only be of value for forage but will produce large crops of fruits as attractive to the educated palate as to the savage."
"Of the Opuntias indigenous to the United States none as yet have been grown for fruit or with an effort to improve them."
The Gentle Reminder by the Roadside.
No one could be more pleased to welcome the general public to my experiment grounds but over six thousand visitors were received during the year 1904. All the important experimental work was delayed beyond recall, grounds overrun with crowds from day-light to ten o'clock at night, no rest even on Sundays or holidays; business destroyed, rare plants died from want of care; attention constantly drawn from legitimate matters, letters neglected, telegrams delayed; meals taken standing, sleep disturbed, health at the point of destruction, visitors calling at all hours without regard to my own convenience, each one being under the fixed and unalterable impression that he or she was the one particular one who should be admitted.
This notice will now be found at every gate:
POSITIVELY NO VISITORS ALLOWED
WARNING-
ANY PERSON ENTERING OR TRESPASSING ON
THESE GROUNDS WILL BE PROSECUTED.
The general public has no moral, legal or other right to invade my grounds, home, pri-vate office or laboratories.
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