The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1885-05-06
FLOATING GARDENS.
Some of the Sights to be Seen in
Mexico.

"We visited the celebrated floating
gardens" writes correspondent in
Mexico. "When tract of vegetation
composed of reeds, water-plants and
bushes, interviewer and laced together,
becomes so dense that it will
bear a superstructure, strips of
turf twenty to thirty yards
long by two yards wide are cut from
some suitable firm place, floated to it
down the canal and laid upon it;
this is repeated several times,
and thus an island is securely
raised two or three feet above the level
of the water, little soil spread over it,
and it becomes chinampa, or floating
garden, on which Indian corn, vege-
tables and flowers are grown. The gar
dens vary in size from 100 to 200 feet in
length and from 26 to 100 in width, ac-
cording to the nature of the vegetation
which supports them.
ITO secure these gardens in their pro-
per places long willow poles are driven
where they soon take root The poles
also throw out roots into the beds of the
floating gardens. and so hold them
steady.
1--WE took line of street cars and
were landed near an old Spanish bridge,
alongside of which we found number
of miserable fat-boats covered with
awnings, with a seat on each side,
covered with red calico. We held our
noses, as our breaths. Upon leaving
the city the canal is lined on both sides
with beautiful trees of the species of the
weeping willow, only that they are
quite tall. The City Gate, or local Gus
tom house. is then passed. Here are to
be seen many boats laden with lumber,
frewood, vegetables, fruit, flowers, etc.,
waiting to pay toll. A large daily revenue
is derived from this source by the gov
eminent. The stalwart Indians swiftly
pole the boat up the stream for about
ten minutes more, and Santa Anita is
reached. This il an old Indian village,
which has undergone few or no changes
for the last 800 years, if we except the
public school for boys and girls, and
small church. 1t is favorite pleasure
resort for the inhabitants of Mexico,
especially during the summer months,
and is rendered doubly attractive by the
numerous chinampas or floating gar
denS 1OunQ IN us Vicinity, on winch are
grown in remarkable abundance Yege-
tables of all kinds and beautiful flowers,
which are sold for mere trlfe.
1.-THE water in the canal was the color
of dishwater. At Santa Anita we en-
tere.. a narrow ditch just wide enough
fer our boat The little boy who pulled
the boat with long pole worked man
fully. We passed by number of
women washing clothes on the banks,
and using a fiat stone as washboard.
The gardens surprised and pleased US.
Here was a small strip of land of, say,
twenty feet wide by 100 deep, sur
rounded by water, producing
the finest of onions, another cab
bages, another radishes, another
carrots, another flowers, and so
on, for at least mile-a succession to
the best cultivated gardens ever saw.
These Mexican Indians are the best
gardeners in the world aside from the
Germans. Their methods are rude, but
they know how to cultivate their garden
patches. On our return we met boat
loads of boys and girls singing and
laughing as they slowly glided along. 1t
was not Venetian scene. but it showed
that the brown-shouldered black-eyed |
Indian girl could dream and talk OF
love-"