Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1886-01-27
WEALTH OF MEXICAN FORESTS.
From Jalapa &C Papantla's Ruins
rrinevai soiitudes---T-ees ana
Plants.

Here the forest abounds in species
of magnolia, here known as yoloxochltl,
covered with lovely sweet smelling
flowers, which are pinklsh white outside
and yellow within. The petals before
full blown assume the form Of cross,
and afterward of splendid star. The
superstitious Indians never fail to cross
themselves and utter an ave at sight OF
one. They tell us that an infusion OF
the giittering leaves is a certain cure
for vomitO and diarrhoea, and that It's
flowers will relieve palpitation or the
heart Among the myriad vines IS one
with scarlet leaves that is always found
encirclng the stems Of the magnolia,
the celebrated "water plant" called by
the Mexicans the master flower" In
case of dire necessity its large red leaves
would appeaSe hunger, but Its chief
mission Is that of natures cup bearer.
Our pious guides and servants, believ-
ing it 10 be boon direct from heaven,
! because OF the cross and star upon the
yoloxochtl. were perpetually imbIbing
the moisture between fervent orisons.
till the wonder grew how their distend-
! ed stomachS could contain so much.
The valuable vanilla planifolla IS IN
direnouS TO these humid groves, and IS
carefully sought during certain seasons
by the Indians of the terra caleente.
/ Ii Is now produced only in the States or
Vera Cruz and Oaxaca, though (accord-
| ing to Baron HumboldU Europe re-
ceiyed its entire supply of this commo-
| ditS from Mexico prior to 1872. The
aromatic frulted plant was asSiduously
cultivated by those ancient tribes, the
/ TOtOnacS, who once inhabited all THIS
coast region. Though it requires little
care-nothing but shade and moisture
/ being necessary 10 its existence and IS
TO day more valuable than In the days
when MonteZuma and his Aztec no0!eS
| traded for 1t with the Totonacs, 1t IS no
longer grown to any great extent. But
it still spring up out OF sight in the will
derneSS, and llOuriSheS at its best IN
| hidden lungles on the eastern decllvity
of the Vera Cruz Cordilleras. The In
dams who reside beTeaboutS IN their
primatiye villages are restricted by hrm
| laws from gathering the neglected plant
| al will. The vanilla harvest begins III
March and ends in May, and during
| that season the alCalde of every hamlet
apportious to each man his quota of
labor and prolt--carefully looking out
| for his own lions share OF the proceeds.
/ TIE delicate podS--eyeTy one OF which
| has sure marketable yalue--are watch
ed with great sOlicitude while being
dued in the sun and made ready for
! shipping, to protect them from mold,
mice. and insects.
Here. too. The jalap abounds, tiny
plant, with slender branches and heart
shaped leaves tinged with red, hiding
here and there 4 blossom of violet blue.
1t Is called by the natives tolonpatl,
and takes IFS European name from the
old town, Jalapa, near which 1t was
discovered IN Cortez' time. This beau
! tifnl convOlvulous springs up spontane-
ouSly on all the mountains OF southern
Mexico, having tap roots OF pear Ike
shape.
Among the many trees which were
| hitherto unknown TO us are wild guayas,
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
beng eaten by birds and larvae, is lus-
cious and iDdescribably fragrant.
Everybody is fond of sweet guaves, but
few have ever had opportunity to test
their taste with the fruit when fully IL
pened. They ale in great favor among
physicians, because Of their astringent
and anti febrile properties, and guava
jelly, as all the world knows, is one OF
the necessities W travellers outfit.
When cultivated the shrub changes its
appearance so greatly as to be scarcely
recognizable, its branches grow longer.
its leaves acquire silvery lining, and
its fruit becomes as large as lemons,
resembling .ho latter in -1=,.ssJS
and color.
In these forests nutmeg trees are
found in great pTofusion. though be-
coming extremely rare IN other portions
of Mexico. The natives use an enor.
nous quantity of Malucca nutmeg,
both as a remedy and a condiment-
their chief medicines being these, cam
phor and asafetida, but with character
iStic imprOvidence they neglect natures
benefits, and buy what they might east
1dlSC# eiaoO ttLC NOuAlACoo
trees, the wood of which is valued By
the Indians for making those various
odds and ends which are sold by thou
sands all over Mexico. III Europe these
trees have been so changed by horticul-
ture that they scarcely appear to belong
to the same species as their brethren in
the virgin woods. Across the ocean
the bark is used for well ropes, and the
charcoal made from It is preferred TO
any other for the manufacture of gun
powder.
Then here is the vegetable butter
tree, the Avocado pear, the fruit of
which yields soft rich pulp of buttery
nature. II is pear shaped, light green
inside, and called by the Indians ahua-
cate. II can never be eaten as fruit,
but is so inimitable fer salads that New
York epicures frequently pay as high as
- for single pear, for sometimes the
fruit comes 10 your market from Cuba.
Strange 10 say, this vegetable butter
tree belongs TO the laurel family, but is
the only member of II which produces
anything edible. First, there is the bay
tree lauriS nobilis), the leaves of which
are indispensable in French cookery,
while its berries yield an oil much pri-
zed in medicine; next comes Taurus
camphoTa, from the leaves of which
camphor IS extracted; then Taurus Gin.
namonum, the bark Of which is called
cinnamon, and lastly sassafras, the
aromatic wood said to be q powerful
sudoTiiic.