Los Angeles herald., 1907-04-07

able growths in the world has already
resulted from the work Of the Desert
Botanical laboratory at Tucson, Ari1.,
belonging to one Of the stations OF the
department of botanical research Of the
Carnegie Institution Of washington.
The purpose of this botanical research
is the solution of some Of the most tm-
portant problems in the general tield ct
plant physiology which will go far to-
ward enabling scientists to account for
the structure and form of desert species.
Through the knowledge thus gained
the time will come, It Is believed. when
great stretches of the desert lands Of
the southwest and other regions Will be
converted into arabic territory. This
result will be brought about not only
by study of the present vegetation Of
American desert areas, but also by re-
searches which will show what new
plant life may be introduced In the arid
regions of today. Thus an important
feature of the work consists in the
transplanting of desert vegetation
from its native soil to other attitudes
and other climates, and the cultivation
in desert areas of plants taken from
the mountain regions in tropical and
semi-tropical climates. such as Cali
fornia, Jamaica and parts of South
America. Similar transportation VIII
be made from agricultural states Of the
middle west. The plans formed FOR
carrying on this work are broad and
comprehensive, but necessarily final re-
suits cannot be obtained and tabulated
for some years to come, when sufficient
time will have elapsed for observing
the changes in form caused by changed
conditions.
For the present individual discover
les of the Investigators will undoubted-
ly prove of greater general interest to
the layman than the broader discussion
of the ultimate aims of the work.
Among the former, therefore, may be
cited one desert plant, indigenous to
the arid territories of southern Ari-
zona, Southern California and the Las
Vegas valley Of Nevada, which may
be described as a veritable camel
among vegetable growths 1t is re-
corded in the report of Professor d.
T. McDougal, director of the Desert
botanical laboratory at Tucson, that
this plant during one short rainy spell
of the Arizona desert absorbs enough
water to enable it to live and perform
its functions for years without an
other drink The tests of the life
tenacity of the specimen have extended
only over five years as yet, and there
fore it is impossible to say how much
longer than this the plant will live
without water.
The work of investigating the desert
vegetation of this country is not one
merely of scientific interest but of
great practical value. No effective
work toward reclaiming the desert
regions and adapting them to the uses
of man can be made until their vege-
tation is known and understood. Then
and then only can they be intelligently
used in the new scheme of things which
shall maxi the now arid regions pro-
ductive. Nor should it be thought that
the desert is poor in vegetation. Not
only has it many varieties, but also
many plants which through their en-
viroument are of a most curious and
Interesting nature. There is the little
plant with soft thick leaves or petals
Which, growing in a waterless region,
has saved many from a horrible death
fby thirst Its leaves when chewed
furnish a sap or juice in considerable
quantities. But where does it get this
moisture?
Then there is the great cactus from
which the famous Mexican drinks called
mescal and pulque are made, whose
core or heart when tasted is much like
the sweet potato, whose stalk and bios |
SONS make such succulent and fatten- |
ing food for cattle that the animals |
brave all the thorns to get them and
whose clusters of cup-shaped yellow
flowers are found early of mornings
full of a curious but delicious mixture
known to the Mexicans as "agua miel'
or water honey. There is another curl
GUS variety of cactus whose leaves,
covered with inch-long spines strong
enough TO pierce the heaviest gloves,
are yet eaten by burros with no dis
comfort whatever. There are the many
fbrous plants of value for rope MAX
ing which is not yet determined. There
Is, in fact, a whole treasury of botan-
tcal secrets TO be opened and hundreds
of new plants which may be made to
yield returns and service to man.
The foundation of the Carnegie in
stitution afforded the first opportunity
to scientists Of the New World to pur-
sue systematic botanical Investigations
IN these practically unexplored fields
OF the great expanses of the American
deserts. The Desert botanical labora-
tory was established in 1903 at Tucson.
Ariz., on the edge of the salt desert
adjacent to the lower Colorado river.
Previously some few Investigations had
been conducted by individuals repre-
senting institutions of learning and
botanical museums but without the
correlations OF the resulting data. DR..
Mac cDougal, director of the Desert
laboratory, took up the work where it
had been left off and adopted plans of
a scope before impossible
investigations have been made in
the great Salton basin, Lower Califor-
MIA and Mexico, the Las Vegas desert
of Nevada, the desert surrounding
Great Salt Lake in Utah, the Tehuacan
and the OaXaca deserts of Mexico. and
the arid regions in the higher attitudes
OF the Santa Catalina, Sierrita. Quito
toa and Tucson mountains, for the
purpose of ascertaining all that is to be
known regarding the growth, forma-
ton and migration OF desert vegeta-
ton. In connection with this botanical
research, meteorological observations
have been made continually with re-
suits which are already highly salts
factory
One Of the richest fields for the in
vestigation of the desert vegetation
proves to be the Salton basin in South !
ern California, which is already one of
the principal scenes of DR.. MacDou- |
gals work. This desert, which has re- |
Gently come into much fame owing TO |
its inundation by the waters of the |
Colorado river and the destruction of
many thousand dollars worth of prop
erty. is an Irregular. oblong depression
in the earth. with an area of mora tba,,