Jack London and Luther Burbank were great friends – both admired and respected each other’s agricultural and horticultural efforts. Mr. Burbank developed a spineless Prickly Pear Cactus (opotunia avalon) that he promoted as cattle feed. Jack had seen cattle subsiding on spineless cactus in Hawaii and decided to raise the plants for his own use. Unfortunately, this variety of cactus proved an unreliable source of food as it required irrigation for quick growth, and some of the plants eventually grew back their spines.

These are some of Luther Burbank’s original remaining spineless Prickly Pear cactus, fenced off as an exhibit.