Arizona weekly citizen., 1885-08-15
Arizona Fostering Algeria.
MoLISA's RANCH, 4 ug. 1.

MoLISAs RANCH, Aug. f.
 ED. CITIzES:-Some time ago MT. J. E. Goux. of Santa Barbara, Cal, wrote to me about making for him collection of all the useful and ornamental trees and cactaceae of this country, in order to see if he could introduce them sue cessfully in.o Algeria, the French Col ony in Africu, which is almost entirely destitute of t.cos suitable for firewood The climate, dry and rainy seasons and to a great extent the soils of that coun' " are analcgoEs to ours, both lying exactly under the sane latitude (32-St NJ
 Arrangements between us being com. pleted I set to work to procure the neces- sary seeds. This is as a matter of course slow procse dIns inasmuch as the different species of plants do not upen at the same time. As yet have forward ed to Mir. Goux seeds of the Prosopls Rlandulosa (sweet mesquit) Prospls iulifiora (bitter mesouit) and CanotIs IPalo Verde). If Mir. Goux succeeds m introducing these trees into the barren regions of Algeria he will be benefsc- tor to that country. l have further more forwarded seeds of the Cereus giyantens (54huarOl Opuntia (Prickly Pearl-the Kind growing here beng different from that m AfTics-1ucca loncifoliR and Yucca baccata, the soap weed sold here on tie streets as amole, or vegetable soap, of which Dr. LoeS says that the pIth produced on agitating tine pounded root in water IS due to "sap0nIn" from which its marked deter gent properties depend.
 Of course there are great many more seeds to be collected, m due sea son, for instance the Aggves and especl- ally the Juniper tree (Juniperus Nlrgi- niana) which I found after a long and tedious search in the Canada del Gro, but whose berries are not ripe till the latter part of September. This little bluish fruit has great medical qualities and the MexicRns have even great faith in the virtue of the needles, Gt belongs to the pine family which they boil to prepare baths for rheumatic diseases. Thus it would appear that they knew the virtue of pine extract longbetore St. Ja- cob's Oil came into market.
 While returning from Canada del Oro I found a Mexican busily occupied ID carefully selecting and cutting stems of the Larrea Mexicana or Creosote bush, here commonly called Chaparral and by the natives HedeundIbla (the stInker) on account of its disagreeable odor. Upon inquiry he explained to me the different uses to which this bush Is put to both incidentally and for dyelng purposes. Doctor Loew's examination proves "that the reddish brown exudate on the branches will yield a red color ing matter showing all the reactions of COchineal."
 I have frequently heard both from AmerIcans and Mexicans about the me- dicinal properties of this plant and l now recollect that about If years ago Dr. Goodwin (now of NOgales) ailed my attention to the fact, that the gum exuding from the bark of the ere osotv bush vas without a dOnbt a great stomachic medicine. In view of all these observations 1 shall as soon as the sticky, yellow flower appears, for ward this plant for careful chemical an- alysis. If there is anything in II we might as well have the benefit of it there are several millions tons of tIis brush right il Pima county,
 And now, MT. Editor, respectfully ask that you will avoid miss printing Ia la Starr of the proper names used herein. \ man does not like tO be made fool Of-not even ID Latin.
 Yours bOtanieally,
 JOHN 4. SPRING.