El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-06-04
Scientists Study the
Plant Life In Desert
Carnegie Laboratory Established in Midst 1.-THE ARID
Lands of the Southwesshed in Midst Of the Arid
in Botanical Research.

and TneteOroglcaI Instruments - lea
ture is a temperature chamber, dug IN
the exact center under the building
This chamber is six by six feet, with
an air space of brick all about it, and
with an entrance so constructed that
one can enter the chamber without ere
ating any disturbing air currents The
TOP of the chamber is insulated and
exact records of the temperature can
be secured
Wide Field.
The work of investigation is not con-
fined TO the vicinity of Tucson, but is
being carried on in ali parts Of the
southwest Expeditions are being con-
stantly sent out, and visiting scientists
Join many Of these excursions All
classes and conditions of desert plants
are being grouped and studied one
of the most interesting and vital expert
ments is the study OF Water-storlnS
plants. 1t has been known for years
that certain plants have great capaci-
ties for storing moisture, this reserve
being drawn upon to sustain the plant
in time of long-continued drouth- In
Mexico the barrel cactus contains so
much water that the natives frequently
cut the top from the plant and refresh
themselves from the water found IN
the interior OF the great plant. Some
of these water storing plants were col
lected and stored at the Carnegie Des-
ert Laboratory at the outset Of the
work there, and with a view to ascer-
tanning how long the plant growths
would flourish without additional moist
ure. The plants for seven years have
put forth shoots and leaves at the De
ginning of each rainy season, drawing
on their stores of water and apparently
showing no signs of dissolution.
Investigated SaItOn Basir.
The experts from the Carnegie Des-
ert Laboratory made 4 thorough inves-
tigation of the great Salton basin be-
fore the overflow which completely in
undated that country q few years ago.
Since the repair of the leak that sent
the flood waters of the Colorado river
into the Salton basin, a process of
evaporation has been going on, and it
is estimated that in a few years the
basin will be arid once more. This af-
fords the botanical experts a rare
chance to study the changes wrought
in the desert growth of the basin, as
compared with the results secured be-
fore the great influx of moisture took
place.
In the Colorado desert the Carnegie
experts have been enabled to carry out
some interesting and valuable observ-
atoms concerning alkaH resistant
plants. At Salton, which lies on the
edge of the salt flat, near several aka
line springs, plants are growing from
soil that is heavily encrusted with salt
and alkali.
The palm groves of the Colorado
desert, near Indio, offer a special field
Of investigation. The parched slopes
Of the foothills of the San Bernardino
mountains seem incapable Of support
ing any life, but within the mouths of
some of the canyons occur groves of a
native palm. Thousand Palm Canyon,
near the desert settlement Of Indio, af-
fords an astounding example of desert
growth. In this canyon are many
palms, which, at full maturity, are so
feet high and have trunks two feet in
diameter. Most of the old trunks are
apparently blackened by fire. The dead
leaves of the younger trees are folded
downward, and sometimes form cylin-
drical mass eight feet in diameter. AS
the trees grow taller these dead leaves
fall to the ground, leaving a naked
trunk, with a COLLAR of green leaves at