The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-26
STRANGE LIFE OF A DESERT.
TATERMELONS, HEMP AND MIS-
TLETOE VEGETABLE PESTS.

Things appear to go by oppostes in the
desert region Of the great West. The
castoms manners and usages Of the out
eide world are reversed, Even nature
works differently here than she does In
other parts OF the country.
BEFORE IRRIGATION concerns started the
work Of retaining the region by turning
water into the desert through gigantic
canalsr says the San Francisco Chronicle,
such settlers as made this region their
home had 10 practise all sorts Of schemes
to procure that necessary fluid. The usual
way was TO haul the water down in barrels
thirty OF forty miles, az the case might be-
from the nearest mountain spring or oahon
pool. These barrels Of precious stun
we're then covered with sand to prevent
evaporation through the pores.
Fuel was nearly az scarce az water and
quite as difficult TO get. The only growing
shrub in a large portion Of the desert coun-
try which Offers substantial fuel is the
Mesquite.
Blown by vagrant winds. which con-
siantly sweep across the plains the mes
quite beans find Judgment in the sand or
coil at various places Being one Of the
so-called dry weather plants il needs
ura to set it growing. II takes root and
sends up some scraggly shoots. AZ soon
A. they attain enough size and substance
70 offer a barrier to the wind they are
buried beneath the drifting sand and SEEM
ingy anihiIated. Not so, however They
continue to grow and here and there from
the sides and top of the sand mound the
shoots peep through and soon are growing
Courageously, giving the sand heap the
appearance Of bearing leaves. Then the
twigs offer another mark to the sands and
they are again covered.
9'bus the process il oft repeated, the
sand mound growing broader and taller;
ard the hidden shrub broadens and reaches
Up till mounds are formed ten, twenty
feet high and even taller. Here ia the
desert dwelleT's fuel. but he has to dig
out in Gods country" as the inhabi-
'ants Of that region term the fertile por-
tons Of this land, the Tancher turns his
cattle and hogs into fenced-in lots, and
the watchdog is chained to his kennel.
In the desert the matter j. reversed. They |
have no timber with which TO build fences |
OF pens, 80 the family pig Is chained or |
sroped" to a post and the dogs run Wild
This reversal Of custom led one visitor |
10 the region to pon teddy remark that he |
had mo use for country where one has 20 |
dig for wood and climb for water, where |
they chain the hogs and let tho dogs run
As has been remarked, nature IS as for |
eign 10 her usual customs here as are the /
inhabitants and she seems to work by a /
set Of laws formulated for this especial |
locality.
In the lower part Of the Colorado desert |
nearly half a million acres Of land have |
been reclaimed by a large irrigation sys-
tenn. Since water has been turned on and !
abundant crops are being raised, sue |
Cession Of surprises has been sprung upon !
- g..L.- - ka al nV,a
Ia the unique pests. both insect and vege-
table which have developed there.
Who would not be surprised for instance, |
10 find that luscious garden fruit, the water |
melon, becoming a pest? II Is a very serious /
pest in this reclaimed desert region. The |
desert country is peculiarly adapted 70
melon raising, now that the water has
come. The watermelon was one Of the first
crops, aside from the grains, TO be planted,
The melons produced abundantly and be-
Sides furnishing the growers epicurean
eating and n profitable commodity for
shipment, thousands Of melons we're used
for feed for cattle.
In this manner great quantities OF seeds
we're scattered over the ground, and when
the flooding Of the land took place, in course
Of irrigation. these seeds were carried by
the water TO all parts Of the cultivated
area. The seeds took root. grew, again bore
fruit, furnishing more seed 70 be dis
trbuted and the melon was beyond control.
N had escaped from its bounds Of cult
cation and 1t returned to the wild state.
The vines grew rank and mEuriant, over
riding and pulling down the grain and
other crops Of the hard working ranchers.
While the vines attained gigantic proper
tons the fruit returned to it's primitive
state and il is scarcely larger than large
apple: but all the sweetness contained in
tho giant melon of cultivation seems 20
have been boiled down by the heat OF the
burning desert and TO be stored in the tiny
melon Of the wild vine.
Two or three hundred desert Indians
have migrated 10 this particular locality !
and pitched their tents, that they may
feast upon the luscious fruit They consider !
them boon, but the ranchers look upon
them otherwise.
Another nest with an interesting history | {
IL the wild hemp (CdnHdbis sdtirdl which
has made lis appearance and IL spreading
with alarming rapidity. There are two very
remarkable circumstances connected with
this pest One is that there Is but one To-
cality west Of the Rocky Mountains where
this plant Is known 20 have existed previous
10 its appearance in the desert and that,
though existing there about quarter Of
century, has taken root nowhere else till
the reclamation Of this desert region, c
though the seeds have been carried down a
the waters Of the Colorado all that time. 2
The hemp plant is somewhat sensitive
A. TO soil and it will not introduce itself
ave under favorable conditions. When the j
waters Of the Colorado River were brought !
out into the desert. through the big canal, ]
the floating seeds found just the soil they 4
eTavcd and they Immediately preempted
the region. And here Is the second re-
markable circumstance In Colorado, and
elsewhere, where the wild plant IL found, IL
attains a height Of two or three feet. In
the desert It grows from twelve to fifteen Il
feet high n
Another pestiferous plant which has de- ii
yeloped remarkable peculiarities il the a
SdLsOtd kdh or Russian thistle, a. il il :,
called II IA also known in many localities ~
Is -tumbleweedF This s one Of the worst "
wheat and grain pests which the West has !,
known Il first made its appearance in 81
South Dakota in 1879, and has since spread c.
TO nearly every State in the Union. II was ~
brought into this country from Europe In T
seeds brought for sowing, and Il has cost G
The farmers Of the country millions Of dol
lars in damaged grains and In efforts TO In
subdue Il and TO root Il out al
The plant is spherical in shape, thickly nj
branched, and when dry i exceedingly =,
hight IL grows from a single slender tap ~
root, which j. easily broken II il then o.
rolled or umbled by the winds across the II,
plains, scattering the seeds as Il is carried al
Tho R,,.-;.. H. .grygs-. 49,, S- ~