North Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1850-1852, 1851-07-23
From the National Intelligencer.

MEXICAN CLIMATE, FORESTS, FRUITS, q
In nv last number drew attention to the arIcle
which were mostly considered the necessles u Pr
Juce and but few which considered IuHuIeSi an
on6ne1 mvself mostly to the merely naming the ar
tcIes and amount produced per Ninety yNIuo fu";;
The produce of the forest ranks next IN
and necessary importance timber in the Departments
which have described. Cedar (red) is one OF lnt
numerous timbers used and grown H. The dePaIIhe'
and district; ii abounds- every where' ana S1
aiIv sed in ship-buidng, floors, house work. &C;
+ is soft easily worked and very durable. dFo'o
ranks next in importance. L hardly KNOW ""' 80
IN class this tree with the fruits, or siInPiy % u
fail timber; the fruit is about the size OF la II 1PP
- : III aIicious the forest abounds with them
and thev grow 10 an enormous size me umoeF Is
Rid durable, and answers well for ienclng' mousse
- shinhnidinr and is superior 10 coal tor steamIng
VI .E PImento, ebony, holm, oak, fus,ic, are
abundant the chijo, very hne wood, which De-
comes petrfed after being cut In a very few years,
whether left in the open air or buried from THIS wooo
bouses could be built that would in few years De-
come fre-nroof and last long as those built oil
stone the wood in green state, is easily worked
il is used in building wharves, forts, &C., and would
he very good as railroad seepers, or as plank road
Ornamental wood abounds throughout the province ;
~ fact the resis extensive and they afford va
1aly of useful timber; many OF them SOLID almost as
iron Besides these, many are found producing val
liable gums, which would no doubt be useiu pom IN
como,sr..c and as medicine. | have here only men,
,ioned woods which known to be tseldI tnere
are others, howcr-bearing and spicy, which, Wheh
their qualities are known would be found 10 be val
uable as ornamental trees, as medicines and spi-
ces ;rhe cocoa and palm abound the gourd tree
crows every where along the margin oil The streams
wild figs, in fact thousands CT various ana heauuiul
Towering shrubs and plants ornament and acorn the
forests in this favored climate Among The medicl-
nal plants which are indigenous TO this part of Mex
leo is the castor bean, which grows In great album
dance, and could no doubt be made profitable with
but little expense.
We next find the fruits come in order; these are
Ill Id, aOft l,atp
tropical climates. The ammonia and cherymoya rank
first in orders This delightful and healthy frult grows
10 great perfection, and could doubt be ProPaga-
ted in Florida and Louisiana. sent few seeas 10
INV own home, which grew, and The plant is now
under the of Mr.. breckenridge with others from
the same place. The alligator pear, well known as
the vegetable of the West Indies the petat,
IL most pleasant sweet acid, healthy, cooling, ana re-
freshing this fruit would no doubt prosper wherever
the Spanish bayonet grows throughout any OF the
Southern States; several kinds of zapote, the mangoe,
and many fruits totally unknown beyond the limits
of the tropics. Some no doubt could be Propagated
in several of the Southern States.
The productions of the garden equally numer-
Gus and excellent. The esculsns yucas, yalns,
taras, sweet and common potatoes, casada-tour OF
these fine substitutes for potatoes, and could be
grown in any Of the Southern States, including Mary
land and Virginia; beans, many varieties; chyoe
and exhots, two vegetables totally unknown TO US,
would grow in any of the States south of New ork
ochre, tomatoes pumpkins, letuces, and cabbages;
lurnips beets, and all vegetables known 10 u.s. grow
in great perfecon. Many of their fragrant and beau
tifuI flowers not only cultivated for ornament but
either for preserves vegetables. Some OF these
The long-leaved matchette plumerea, and cromen
leguminosea. Many medicinal plants grow in such
abundance throughout this region that their culture
Is not necessary; among them is the cast or bean,
which bears abundantly. The land and air is actu-
ally fdtigued with the variety and abundance of the
vegetable kingdom the air is actually vexed and
tortured with the fragrance OF multitudes of odors
from the many colored flowers in forest and on plain
very much fear that my feeble efforts to describe
the floral beauties of Mexico will be total failure.
II is easy to give the dull desert pton of the ne
cessities Of life but when enter within the pre-
cns of the floral departments of the tropics and par
ticuarly Mexico, where vegetation not only burdens
the SOIL but seeks the air, the bodest botanst
skTinks from the task, with all the auxiaries OF
science pen, and brush in hand. l enter therefore,
the floral field, with but faint hopes of doing justice
TO lis beauties. Here, then, will not be able to
describe individuals, but one must speak of orders.
Should depart from this to describe single plants, il
will be solely account of their singularty extra
ordinary beauty, novelty. Some plants close
ly united to the useful vegetable and ornamental floral
department that is at loss where to place them.
Among these plants is the yucca alofola, (nachea;)
It's tall spikes and delicate white aromatic horels
would, at first glance place it among the flowers
but II Is in universal use vegetable, and
class il among the families of yucas. Solandas, !
thnnbergeas, stapelias abound in great abundance,
each OF which would require the efforts of year
collect. The orcnideau clothe every tree and rock
throughout the province; in many instances we see !
clinging one tree fifty to hundred varieties of
these plants, claspng every branch, and finally top
ping the very summit of tree, throwing out their
long and delicate spikes and hanging gracefully over,
with their many-tnted flowers, surfciting the air
with delightful fragrance. This family alone would
I'LL conservatory, and repay for the trouble and
toll of collection HYbscus, (mo nende .phia poly
andra,) azaias bremelias, variegate the plains and
banks with their bright coors. The echetias entwine
themselves around every bush and shrub. binding in
bunch innumerable light and gaudy plants, making
d natural bouquet, of which they form the most |
prominent coIors. The banks are pressed with the
vines OF the caracaa, and the velvety oret of the
delicate cornucopa petals of this sweetscented Creep
er fills the air with its perfume The family Of cacti
the plains, Forests and river banks with their
while others used vegetables, and many species
Iced cattle. Few plants useful than the cact.
Acacia are numerous, several of the tribe used
In tanning and other purposes. They here in num-
uers from the dlmnutlve sensitive plant the mann
moth tree. Does adorn their conserya-
tory with simply the beautiful? Seek Mexico, for
he! oTcheders, azalias, caracallds, and thousand
others equally beautiful abound. Do we wish the
fragrant combined with grace and beauty! Mexico
furnishes them-solanda, plumerias caracaIlas big
nonIas, and many others, which Unknown 10 bot
any. Every year has its beauties every month
new flower; every day flower peculiar to itself;
some bloT one at night, and others only at certain
hours OF the day. The eye becomes cloyed with the
beauties of the floral wilds, and the senses oyerpow-
cred by their fragrance.
AS various as are her flowers, and as beautiful as
The imagination may conceive them be, they fall
ieathered tribe They are living, flying, locomo-
I'VE flowers, with notes far sweeter than David's
narp' here again. every night, days and hour brings
FORM Its appropriate warbler chaterer. 1t would
pe Impossible to enumerate all the feahered tribe
WILL therefore, confine myself to few which have
In H.