Kansas City daily journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1892-1897, 1895-09-20
A THORNY LAND OF WONDERS.


Freaks with Needles and Bayonet
a government expedition has just re-
| turned from the exploration OF vegetable
wonderland. 1t Is region totally unlike
| any other part of the United States-the
home OF those monsirosiues OF plant lie
| called cact. The country is known as
the Desert OF the Chapafral." It's extent
being fom the Nuecss river in Texas TO
the north front OF the eastern sierra Mad
res. OF Mexico. ana from the mouth oi
the recos on both sides OF the RIO
Grande nearly 10 the gulf.
The region is unique SAID member
Of the expedition to the Post Dispatch.
which m.aniers in a sinuous course tho
muddy Rio Graude. The country is COW
grows the remarkable vegetation known
as 'chararral.' This vegetation embraces
many species Of plants that are unknown
Is armed with a Kind OF thorn appropriate
for its protection. Here those vcEetal
variety OF strange forms-eyery one OF
them bnsuhg with defensive weapons
THE cactus, you know, Is a new type of
reason to believe mat Il ala not exist an
cicnuy at 0ll-anciently, that is TO say,
from the sociological point OF view. The
land surfaces OF the globe having brought
about desert conditions in places, certain
able for the storing OF water, At the
same time their leaves have become modi-
fled into th0rus for their protection against
animals. Though some OF them look as
II scarcely alive they are found 10 he
juicy enough when cut into, and many OF
them are useful to man.
"The chaparral in a general way may
be described as a dense schrubhy veEeta-
obstruet the view of II man ON horseback.
II might be said 10 be made up of a series
travciS S throug& il EXTREMELY li '3'iy 2r5Gous ana
even painful Under foot, close TO the
ground. are innumeerable G9acti Of the pin
bustle with keen and sharp thorns. which
easily penetrate the. uppers OF ones shoes.
~ you are thirsty, however you have on
~ to batter in the crown Of one OF the
Turks heads, ana inside OF II you Will
ina a delicious araught Of water, cool
Just above the plncushion. and high
enough TO stick into the calves of the less,
come the needle Ike points of the Spanish
dagger. or 1ztle.' This too, has its use
fiqlaGss,. being the. great iibG3r-prodiueings
aloe its thick blade-like leaves terminating
In curved needles.
between the knee and shoulder Of the trav-
eler, rs the famous nopal' TINS huge
variety OF prlckly pear Is the national plant
that country The fruit of this plant is
pear shaped ana nearly as big as a Bart
lett pear but woe to the weary wayfarer
who on n hot summer day. yields 10 temp
tation and eats this inviting fruit. lie will
quickly ma himself in a high fever which,
though not lasting, is unpleasant.
Higher yet and above the shoulder
reaches the Spanish bayonet,' kind of
yucca. Standing in flower-pot In n garden
this plant is n handsome and innocent or
namCut, but in the chaparral its dagger-like
points stab through the clothing into the
flesh.
above, forming a dense mat over the
head of the traveller. are thorny shrubs of
many species, chiefly the mesquite and its
allies, such as the 'huishaChe and 'guaN-
INA and the cats claw Beneath the
beautiful and finely cut leaves of these
shrubs are innumerahe thorns The
guaNillo' is a sensitive plant. II you touch
one of It's leaves gently II will shrink and
shrivel up for the moment. If you attempt
to handle the plant roughly, however, the
sharp. curved claws concealed beneath the
leaves viii make YOU sorry. The 'guaXillO'
bears huge bean. which, when dry, makes
q rafting like that OF rattlesnake.
The native Indians from these strange
plants obtain soap, hair tonic, tooth
brushes. harhrushes and even medicines.
Along the lower Rio Grande the mesquite
beans are made into bread. Horses, are
exceedingly fond of these beans and for
them will abandon the CNoicest oats at
any time. The mesquite It yes are masti-
Gated as an anudote for fever. 1t is said
that a traveller can live in that country
without water for considerable time by
chewing the pulp OF the thick leaves of
the 'nopal The latter is utilized as food
for cattle, and baby food made from the
juicy pulp has recently been placed on the
market