The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-03-15
MExIcO's FLOATING GARDENS.
They Are sim There and Are Inter-
esting. Hut They Do Not Float.
Ion ID san Francisco ChrnnicIe

esting. Hut They DO Not Float.
From the San Francisco Chronicle
Tourists who come to Mexico always go
to see the floating gardens. But they never
see them. The whitest-haired old man now
living, If he remembers them at all. recalls
them family. for this century has seen
few Of them. SIN the floating gardens or
''chinampas" in the musical language Of
the Aztec. are a never-ending attraction
TO the sightseers who visit this ancient
capital, although, Contrary to popular be
lief, the floating gardens at Santa Anita
and Ixtacalco do not float
Many years since, however, I'm fact be-
fore the conquest of Mexico by the Span
lards, the name was appropriate. for real
noatlng gardens were then common on the
lakes IN the valley OF Mexico, especially
M the lmmedinate vicinity OF the city. But
when Humboldt visited Mexico (then call
81 New SPAIN in 1893 and Able Francisco
tiavigero, a missionary among the In
dlahs, few years later, these peculiar
possessions of the Mexicans were rapidly
diminishing in number, and in 1896 Can't
u r. Lyon informs US that 1.-THE little
gardens constructed on bushes or wooden
idIls no longer exist in the Immediate vi
entity OF Mexico (the city; but ! learn
ed that some may vet be seen at Hochimi-
co. AS late as 1883 two or three floating
Islands stnl existed in Lake Chalco, and
can probably be seen there to-day There
are no others known now
Abbe Francisco Clayigero describes the
true floating gardens as follows:
They plait and twist willows and roots
OF many plants. or other materials, to-
gether which are light. but capable of
supporting the earth of the garden firmly
united. Upon this foundation thew lie thu
hgnt bushes, which float on the lake. and
over all the mud and dirt. which they
draw from the bottom Of the same lake
Inc common form was a quadrangle, and
tne average size about y by 40 feet, al
though some Of the largest were 100 feet
IN extent Many of the latter contained
a small hut, in which the cultivator some
times hNed. one or more trees were also
growing in the center Of these largest
plots. The earth used was extremely rich
and this being kept in a moist state by its
proximity 10 the water and capillary at
traction (the elevation above IT being not
over FOOT, the gardens were productive
OF the choicest vegetables and flowers,
including also maize.
The gardens OF the present day are very
different affairs They do not float but
on the contrary, are composed of strips
of solid ground, usually about Is by 90
feet in extent, although some are larger
|Hhese plots are intersected by small
canals, through which visitors are pro-
by heaptng up the earth about two feet
above the water Willows and sometimes
poplars and silver naples, also a species
Of cane, are often growing along their
banks TO keep them from washing down
The nearest gardens to the City of Mex
leo are along La Niga canal, a public
"
OF varying depth. Its source is in Lake
Hochimilco. two and half miles south
OF the city, whence it flows through the
town and by a circuitous route to Lake
TeXcoco. The gardens are located where
the ground IS naturally low or swampy
All produce the choicest vegetables. flow
ers and not infrequently fruits in great
abundance, embracing nearly every vari-
ETY. grown in the United States, and others
unknown there. Even in the bitches of
little canals beautiful water lilies often
MA r.Fw -.
one mass of vari-colored flowers, the
most common ones being roses, pinks,
geraniums, peoples. and fuchsias. The
great variety of shades and the enormous
size OF many kinds astonish and delight
the visitor from more northern attitudes
The poppies are more attractive than the
finest northern peonies. On certain feast
days every one wears a wreath made ex-
clusively Of these SNOWY flowers
The quick and luxuriant growth of the
products is mainly due to the daily appli-
cation of water which is dipped up in
gourds attached to long swinging and piv-
oted poles, and deftly thrown about
1t is needless to say that the cultivator
never depends upon rain. Some of the
plots are occupied by their owners and
their families, who live in charming lit
tie houses constructed of cane and slIr-
rounded by all their possessions, often in
GLIDING cows, horses, pigs, and chickens
La Niga canal is almost impossible on
sundays, especially, and the same may be
said of the beautiful driveways along its
tree-lined banks, for Sunday in the CITY
of Mexico is the liveliest and in MANY re-
spects the busiest day. of all the week
1t is the great market day as well as hol-
iday and a large number of the vessels
floating on La Niga are loaded with pro-
duee OF every description from the gardens
and elsewhere The visitor to the floating,
gardens seldom hides his disappointment
on discovering that they are stationary
but he never regrets having visited them
Indeed, day spent on the canal and
among the Chinampas will long be re-
membere as one Of the pleasantest in
Mexico.
Little is certainly known regarding. the
origin of these famous places. Able Cla-
Vigero says that when the Mexicans were
driven from their native country, ages in
the past they were forced to occupy small
islands in Lake Texcoco, where They
ceased for some years to cultivate the
land, because they had none, until neces-
sity and industry together taught them to
form movable fields and gardens which
fioated. on the waters of the lake These
were the first fields which the Mexicans
owned after the foundation of Mexico {"
The custom may have originated as above
stated, but the following view, founded
on careful examination of some of the
oldest works on Mexico is advances q q
the more probable, especially since the
MexicanEi still retained and cultivated
the watery plets after their Independence
was again established.
For long ages the valley of Mexico was
subjected to devastating foundations The
valley is about sixty miles in width and is
surrounded by a continuous wall of hiIlS
and mountains. The waters collected on
these flow into six principal lakes The
Plaza Mayor, or great square in the city
of Mexico, is elevated a few feet only ahoVa
the nearest lake-Texcoco In former
times a prolonged rainy season caused The
/ surplus waters in the other lakes. which
have an elevation of from to thirteen
feet above the Plaza Mayor to burst Their.
banks and flow into Lake Texcoco. which
in turn overlooked and flooded the valley
In June, 1920 the date of the last great
flood, the city was covered with water TO
a depth of three feet, and II remained in
that state for five years
The regular fields were of course min
ed whenever a freshet traVersed the val
ley, ana necessity finally compelled the
supply OF produce at all seasons and to
prevent a. famine. These were noored in
places where the rise and fan of the lake
waters would not affect them. During the
period When hoods were looked for at any
time these floating patches were very COM
mon, but when the city and valley were
partially protected by a gigantic canal in
main overflow was carried off in safety.
they gradually disappeared until al the
present time nothing but the Dretfu no 49,