The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1886-01-06
MEXICO'S PRIMEvAL WOODS
soME or THE VEGETABLE WONDERS
OF VERA CRUZ.
What a Traveller Saw in PrHmevaI
Forests - Strange and Useful
Plants and Trees

visit to an isolated region Of the state
OF Vera Cruz, Mexico, says; The forest
abounds in species of magnolia, here
known as yoloxochitl, covered with
lovely, sW Weet-smelling flowers, which are
pinkish white outside and yellow within.
The petals, before full blown. assume
the form of cross, and afterward of a
splendid star. The superstitious Indians
never fail to cross themselves and mutter
an ave at sight of one. They tell us that
an infusion Of the glittering leaves is
certain cure for vomito and diarrhea,
aud that its flowers will relieve palpita.
ton of the heart. Among the myriad vines
is one with scarlet leaves that is always
found encircling the stems of the mag
nolia, the celebrated "water plant"
called by the Mexicans the Easter
flower" In case Of dire necessity, its
large red leaves would appease hunger,
but its chief mission is that of natures
cup bearer. It treasures the priceless
dew within its followed leaves, and pre-
sents to thirsty travellers q never-failing
store. Our pious guides and servants,
believing it to be a boon direct from
heaven, because Of the cross and star
upon the yoloxochitl, were perpetually
imbibing the moisture between fervent
prisons, till the wonder grew how their
distended stomachs could contain so
much.
The valuable vanilla bramfolia is indi-
genous to these humid groves, and is
carefully sought during certain seasons
by the Indians of the terra caliente 1t
is now produced only in the States of
Vera Cruz and Oaxaca, though accord
ing to Baron Humboldt, Europe received
its entire supply of this commodity
from Mexico prior to 1912. The aro-
matte fruited plant was assiduously cul-
tivated by those ancient tribes, the To-
tonacs, who once inhabited all this coast
region. Though it requires little care
nothing but shade and moisture being
necessary to its existence-and is to-day
more valuable than in the days when
Montezuma and his Aztec mobiles traded
for 1t with the Totonacs, it is no longer
grown to any great extent. But it still
springs up out of sight in the wilderness,
and fourishes at its best in hidden jungles
on the eastern declivity of the Vera
Cruz Cordilleras. The Indians who re-
side hereabouts in their primitive viii
lagos are restricted by stern laws from
gathering the neglected plant at will The
vanilla harvest begins in March and ends
in May, and during that season the al
calde of every hamlet apportions to
each man his quarto of labor and profit
= carefully looking out for his own lions
share of the proceeds. The delicate
pods-every one of which has a sure
marketable value-are watched with
great solicitude while being dried in the
sun and made ready for shipping, to
protect them from mold, mice and in
sects. Here, too, the Jallap abounds,
tiny plant, with slender branches and
heart-shaped leaves, tinged with red.
hiding here and there blossom of vio-
let blue. 1t is called by the natives
tolonpatl, and takes its European name
from the old town, Jalapa, near which
it was discovered in Cortez's time. This
beautiful convolvulus springs up spon-
taneously on all the mountains Of South
ern Mexico, having tap roots of pear like
shape. Unfortuna tely, the Indians de-
stroy it by tearing away its tubercles,
and the day Is not distant when the
drug will! become more scarce than the
quina tree.
@AALOhE thC hA0A biCCS WulCu WOTC
hitherto unknown to us are wild guavas,
a sort of myrtle, growing naturally in
the higher attitudes of the tropics, and
here attaining height of several feet.
Its fruit, which seldom ripens before be-
ing eaten by birds and Larvae, is luscious
and indescribably fragrant. Everybody
is fond of green guavas, but few have
ever had opportunity to test their taste
with the fruit when fully ripened. They
are in great favor among physicians, be-
cause of their astringent and nti-febrile
and guava jelly, as all the
world knows, is one of the necessities of
a travellers outfit When cultivated the
shrub changes its appearance so greatly
as to be scarcely recognizable; its |
branches grow longer, its leaves acquire
a silvery lining, and its fruit becomes as
large as lemons, much resembling the |
latter in shape and color.
In these forests nutmeg trees are found |
in great profusion, though becoming ex-
tremely rare in other portions of Mexico. |
The natives use an enormous quantity |
Of Malucca nutmeg. both as remedy and |
= condiment- their chief medicines being |
these, camphor and asafetida, but with |
IN lllofANCuCG luCl ucRiCCl |
benefits, and buy what they !
might easily raise. Here also are count |
less lime trees, the wood of which is
valued by the Indians for making those
various odds and ends which are sold by |
thousands all over Mevico In Europe |
.hese trees have been so changed by |
horticulture that they scarcely appear to
belong to the same species as their breth-
EN- in the virgin woods. Across the
ocean the bark is used for well ropes, and
he charcoal made from it is preferred
o any other for the manu-
iacture Of gunpowder. Then
lere is the vegetable butter" tree, the
Avacado pear, the fruit of which yields
soft rich pulp of buttery nature. 1t is
light green inside, and
'alled by the Indians ahuacate. II can
lever be eaten as fruit, but is 50 inimita-
lie for salads that New York epicures
raCtsout1v no ID hifrh 40 far -, |