FLOWERS SO GAY-SPINES SO SHARP

we have gone "commercial." But we do like to give credit where credit is due.

A newcomer to the desert once asked an oldtimer what would be the best way of learning which of the desert plants were cacti (or cactuses if you wish). "Go barfoot!" said the oldtimer. That would, of course, be an effective if rather brutal way of acquiring learning but the idea is relatively sound. Go where the spines are sharpest and the flowers are gayest might be more gentle advice, because cactus spines are always sharp and cactus flowers are just as lovely as the spines are sharp. The visitor, newly arrived in the desert, is always repelled by the bristling points, charmed by the blossoms. But always remember this, and here again we quote Dr. Shantz: "Where cacti thrive, it is doubtful if any man should die of thirst or hunger since most of them could be used as emergency food and drink. They have been used widely by the Indians in the Southwest, and the cattlemen, by burning the spines, have used them to carry their herds through many an unfavorable season. The cacti are a valuable asset to the State because of their unusual botanical interest and significance, because of the attraction of their unique forms for traveler and visitor, and as a source of food for man and beast."

Regardless of your interest, whether casual or searching, in the family Cactaceae, if you admire beauty you cannot fail but be charmed and pleased by cactus blooms. The ugliest old cactus plant you ever saw, obviously no more than a desert bum, can and does produce large, beautiful blossoms, extravagant corsages worn with a flourish. Depending on the elevation you'll find cactus blossoms shedding their beauty on the desert air from March through October with the Spring parade in late April and May particularly colorful. You might sidestep the spines but you'll never fail to "Ah!" and "Oh!" when the flowers are in bloom. No one ever does...R.C.