The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-25
THE MYSTERIOUS
MEXICAN JUMPING BEAN

Common enough in some store win
dows in New York are the Mexican jump
Ing beans and those who ask are told
that little worm inside the bean makes
II jump so oddly. but that Is about as far
as any one gets who seeks for knowledge.
Really. however, the jumping bean Is one
Of the wonders Of the vegetable king
dom.
In the Naqui river country of western
and northwestern Mexico there grows
bush which looks. very much IKE the or
dInary coffee bush. 1t ranges from three
to four feet In height and bears hun
dreds OF blossoms that are soft olive
green tint before they rIpen when they
turn Il bun gray Each blossom holds
two fertile seeds. and n third, or living
seed. which is the home OF a small. eX-
ceedlngly active worm, which becomes
beautifully colored moth when IL es-
caPSs pcs from its Is Grnison, cell sa,u-
tuns' Dumping BEAM are planted in
January, and as the climate is always
mild I'm the lowlands of the Yaqui coun-
male moth deposits one egg on the pollen
OF the flower. AS the flower develops IL
forms a triangular shaped shell on two
sides, with convex shape on the other
side Within this the chrysallls develops
into a grayish- brown worm about one
tenth of an inch in diameter and Il half
inch long This worm lives on the inside
of It's prison cell OF shell for SIX months.
on until the month of November. Then.
II the climatic conditions are favorable
and warm. ii bores Il hole through the
end of it's shell and flies away as n beau
titul moth to mate in its turn and per-
pctuate its species,
II. however. it Is brought in the bean
10 a colder climate the worm VIII die in
the shell. II one cuts n tiny hole In the
end OF q jumping bean about an eighth
Of an inch In diameter in less than one
hour the worm will cover the break with
a white fibre like eNudatIon from It's
stomach working the mouth round and
round the opening until the hole In the
shell is completely closed.
The Yaqu Indians use the jumping
beans to cure insomnia. Placed in piece
Of dried palm leaf or bark they make
noise not unlike the pattering OF rain on
n tin roof which they say is very con
duclve 10 sleep Put IN a wooden or paper
box and placed on a table or chair near
one afflicted with Insomnia, and the
soothing effect of u dozen of these living
beans. Jumping about In the box will be
truly marvellous. say the Yaquis, The
trade in them Is increasing yearly, Dur
Ing the last six months 10000 have been
sold I'm the United States and of this
amount 20 900 was sold by one firm alone
down In the business district Of New
York.
Ii kept in n moderately warm room.
and not packed too tightly together the
dancing beans viii live for five to SIX
months To nlystfv the older folks, and
afford no end OF amusement 10 the chill
dTen. jumping and dancing about for
hours al time. The jumping Is caused
by the worm curling himself UP in a ball
and then springing out 10 full length
against the side OF the she'll making tho
bean jump from the hand into the air.
If kept In q moderately warm place and
nut out half an hour In the sunlight once
a day they viii continue TO jump and
dance indefinitely
The little worms usually sleep in the
morning. To wake them up move them
about in the palm OF the hand briskly
Soon YOU Will find the worm kicking Wig
orously showing that he has heard your
summons and is ready 10 perform his
tricks.
Tho old Yaqui Indians and their
beans In small skin bag hung around
their neck for medicinal purposes. and TO
produce sleep, the constant rat-a-tap-
tap OF the beans against the breast pro-
ducing rather pleasant sensation. The
premature death OF one or all OF The liv
ing beans forebodes impending evil TO
The wcarcr. they say,