The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-08-27
The Vegetation of Panama.

JuHSic d1lu your 1dea OF the iSthmuS is
perhaps a mighty palm garden. There
are plenty of palms, but there are also
other trees of a hundred varieties.
mere are great forests Of hardwoods,
with palms here and there scattered
tnrough them. There are scores of
plants the names Of which are not
known to the ordinary traveller and
many or which are new to the bota-
nists.
There are also plants and woods
winch the Indians use for medicinal
purposes, some Of which are practi-
cdIly unknown to our pharmacists.
Inc caciQue wood Will stop blood. and
tne indians use it for all kinds Of cuts.
1hey say that it will even stop hem
orrhages if one takes hold of it. and
that by busting some powder from it
over a cut the blood will cease run
ming.
Ihere is another tree here which
Is an anddOte for snake poison. and a
plant the juice OF which is an emetic
that will turn the strongest stomach
INSIDE out. l know a zone official who
had heard Of this plant and wished to
test 1t. He was out hunting with a
friend and the two agreed that they
would each drink a cup of tea made
OF the juice. It was sweet and easily
swallowed. A moment later, however,
OOLAA 1AACA d IuSu IO1 the OOOf,
and, as the engineer said, they though,
their boots were coming up through
their throats.
A little farther south are trees from
the bark Of which the Indians make
blankets and the straw which is WOW
en- into Panama hats.
Like the Cradle of Moses.
The 1sthmus of Panama has the
papyrus plant similar to that which
fnrvno1 tho o~o11o ~ 1++Ia NH@-o-
when he lay in the bulrushes. and to
that Of which the paper used by the
ancient Egyptians was made. There
are great beds Of papyrus to be seen
from the cars on the ride across the
isthmus. It is a long reed with a tas~
sel-ike e which grows in the
swamps. 1t is one of the chief plants
vast tracts Of it in the lower parts Of
the Sudan.
Another queer thing, according to
our American notions, is the grass Of
the isthInus. We usually look upon
this country as nothing but jungle,
The truth Is, there are great pasture
lands In the Panama republic, and
within a miles ride Of the Tivoli Ho-
tel at Ancon one may enter a land
scape which is not unlike parts OF
Ohio and Indiana These are the sa-
AAAAO Ia SOoAA$y VIZ
grass, upon which herds of cattle arr
feeding. The cattle are rounded w
by the P~anamanian cowboys on horse.
back and the scenes are not unlike
those of the Argentine pampas. Thu
northern part of the Panama repub.
lie is largely of this nature and is de
voted to grazing, having large herds
, of cattle.
. Gorgeous Flowers Of Sweet Perfume
l have frequently seen it stated tina
the flowers Of the isthmus do no
1 smell. This Is not true of the most O.
them. There are many which Civ
forth a delicious perfume and loat
r the air with their scent.
Indeed, Panama is a land of flowers
There are great trees Of red, yellow
and blue, which may be seen from tn
9 cars on the way across the isthmus
and orchids and other air plants b,
t the thousands hang from the branch
t es- They clothe the limbs and trunk
of lead trees and make them alive.
MI. Gudger. Uncle Sans chief jus
S tice Of the Cana Zone, has a vine GOV
ering the porch Of his house near tn
t TivOli Hotel. This vine bears a yellov
8 flower which looks like a rOSe. TIL
justice calls it the TivOli vine. Jus
d below this place is a tree which bear
leaves green OF top and rust red be
- NeaI0. ~uCn the sun strikes tHSL
the under sides of the leaves shin
a like FURNISHED copper. and they loo
as though they were busted with gol
q mixed with a copper alloy.
- / have already written Of the orchi
a collections OF the ladies Of the 18th
u mus. Nearly every one Of prominenc
has her veranda loaded with then
&c and many produce flowers of exqulslt
beauty. Others of the ladies run t
ferns, having every variety from thos
whose fronds are as fine n silky 8
the hair of a baby to great trees. tn
- branches Of which extend out at tn
q TOP like an umbrella and shade man
" square feet.
- Queer Tourists at Panama.
# Among the queer things Of the C
ma Zone are people-who are rushln
IA down here to see it. Some stay but
To- day and others go through on the rut
Of Der neck trains which give a panoran