Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-06
j. p. STEELE, EDITOR.

ana compact habit. Like the yaupor
It's natural habitat is on the aIluvia
iahds along streams, though il readily
sdapts itself to higher situations. How
iar over Texas it extends as an indi-
senous growth we are unprepared to say
though We have seen it tiourlshing &c
perfection at several points. No doubt
would succeed well anywhere in
! Iexas. Its northern range for us may
oe put about the same as that of the
yaupon, though it grows much further
up nlong the Atlantic coast.
| Andromedia nitida is q very pretty
! little broed-leaf evergreen that we have
seen growing plentiiully along streams
| wen down in Texas. We know of no
common name for it, The leaves much
resemble those of the orange, and II
though very slender in its natural
growth, bears trimming into storkness
nrsl rate. Bears proiusion of bell
SNAPPED flowers of a pale pinkish tinge =,
winch continue 10 come well through the
season. The little flowers, not more
than one-fourth of an inch in length, are
hiShly fragrant, with an odor much re-
sembiing that OF new honey. We cannot
vouch for the success of the shrub in
Northern Texas. though since we have
seen II growing in Tennessee we think il
would be apt TO succeed as far up as Fort
Worth, at least. The shrub grows to
the height of ABOUT five feet.
There are other fine broad-leaf ever
green shrubs we know of growing near
the gulf coast, but since we are unad-
vised Us to how they would act trans
planted TO the far interior, and this be-
ing an article written for all Texas, we
shall not take up the readers time with
mention of them. Eut there is vet one
unmentioned class of plants deserving
special atteu:lon-a class known TO be
entirely at home with us, aud one that
carries hint of the tropics wherever it
grows. We allude 10 the yuUCas. All
the species figuring in American botany
viii grow in every section of Texas.
In tue Gulf states east of the Missis-
ippi river, the most conspicuous species
of this family OF plants 10 be met with is
the Yucca alvefOlia, known for common
Is the "SpGnish dagger. - We are not
sure that the same species grows wild in
Texas, but suppose il does. 1t reaches
10 the height of ten feet under favorable
conditions, with truGk four 10 five inches
III diameter, and bears ut the top each
season raceme of large bell
budpti titdE "DlIb mowers, TO
he followed by bunch of fruit
somewhat resembling bananas. The
numerous leaves which take out from the
stalk all round are, Us the common name
indicates, daggers, like in shape aud
each is pointed with a strong and very
sharp spire. OF course the reader al
ready has pretty clear idea of what
plant we refer 10 from this imperfect de
AL hn
name, which last Is quite generally
adopted in all parts of the country where
The Yucca ulvefoliO Grows
We have seen IL few specimens of this
species growing in the yards OF Northern
Texas, and can therefore vouch for its
being hardy here. There is another spe-
cies, however, good deal like the one
under consideration, that is much more
common here, and withal, is the most
desiruDle species of the two. 1t is pecu-
liar TO Texas and Mexico. One never
sees il growing wild east of the Missis-
suppl river, and rarely, indeed, finds it |
under culture there. 1t is the largest |
growing of all the yuCcus, sometimes /
height of twenty feet In |
general appearance it closely resembles |
the species JLst described, though its .
; 'daggers are broader, thicker and |
longer, and its trunk much larger III
rircum ferance. The botanical name
given 10y Buckley is Yucca longifolia.
lis natural habitat is Western Texas and
Mexico, though there are many fine young
specimens growing in Fort Worth, n fact
which leads us to conclude that it might
~ depended upon IN any section of the
tate. The people here have also given
{ the common name of 'Spansh dag
GER"
The most common yucca in the coast
country east of the Mississippi river is
popularity known as "blue grass, - or
Adam S needle and thread '-Uotani-
al name Yucca filnmentosa. 1t has a
arCe tuft of broad dagger-shaped leaves
Immediately at the ground, but never
,uts up trunk. slender flower stalk
) thrown up from this TUT to the height
# three or four feet, but this dies and
alls so soon as the seed IS matured
Along the margin of each leaf hang
oug thread-like filaments which suggest
ne of its popular names. The flowers
cry much resembles those OF the other
NO species mentioned.
We have never met 18th this bear
rass species growing in Texas, but there
a beautiful little yucca quite common
ere that exhibits many of its character
sites. Its leaves are in bunch on the
round, but they are smaller and mar
over than are those of the other species
he margin OF each leaf is marked with
narrow white stripe, which is not at
II characteristic OF the bear grass, but
he fillaments appear along the margin
5 il the case OF the latter. The eastern
ear grass has no spire to speak of at the
nd OF the leaf, but on the contrary this
eXas species is quite strongly spired.
No works on botany mention the little
ucca under mention, therefore we must
Onciude that it has never yet been de-
ribbed and named by ans botanIst.
When they do take it in hand they will
robably load il down with some such
anne as yucca tilamentose, variety
exaua. -
All these yuccas being highly orna-
rental, strictly Southern, permanently
vergreen and undoubtedly hardy in
very section of Texas, ought TO claim
beral share of our people, attention j
, desirable growths for the yard and the ,
.wn.
Irrigating the Pecos Valley. .
Last week we had the pleasure of :
Getting in Fort Worth Mr.. John o. i
ord, a well-known banker at Pecos t