The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1914-05-23

turbanCes IN mexico nave pOstpOncu
temporarily the attainment of the su
preme ambition held by DR.. Herman Won Schrenk
of St Louis. which is to determine scientifically
the approximate age Of this nestor Of the whole
vegetable kingdom
Experts, Judging by the gigantic bole OF the
Santa Maria del Tule cypress, and by the slow
growth of this species, have estimated the age
OF the patriarch of all trees to be between 5000
and 5000 years.
These figures are staggering to the imagina-
ton Taking the lowest computation, when the
seed from which the tree sprang fell upon the
earth King Menes was holding the first reign In
Egypt Of which we have historic knowledge
1900 years before the birth Of Christ 1t was a
slender STRIPPING, 200 years old. when Cheops
drove his subjects with the lash to the labor OF
building the great Pyramid. It had reached a
lusty youth Of 1900 years when the Hebrews
made their exodus from the land Of the Nile.
This living thing in tropical America was ST.
iently building itself to Its present stature and
vigor seven centuries before Babylon reached its
greatest splendor Ancient Nineveh, In the ninth
century before the Christian era, was a parvenu
compared with the Oaxaca cypress. The earliest
cuneiform inscriptions which Psychologists have
unearthed in Assyria date back to only 1900 B. c.
| and the tree in Mexico which was to arise In
| the distant future on q new and unknown CONT
| nent had even then lived almost many years
| as separate the world today from the final recall
| Of the Roman legions from Britain.
This still hourishing tree Of the twentieth GEN.
fury had built its annual rings and spread Its
yearly foliage for ten centuries when Abraham
| tended his focks and o vision Of the Jewish
race that was to be- 1t had lived 1000 years
before David slew Goliath and Solomon erected
| the temple at Jerusalem.
In the eye Of its hoary antiquity. Troy. Athens,
the Macedonian kingdom and the Roman empire
were mere upstairs Of time. The discovery Of
tha ON nv
would seem. In its life, things Of only few
months ago.
| The last scientific measurement OF the santa
Maria del Tule cypress was made by DR.. Won
Schrenk in 1908. a century after Humboldt dis
covered II while on his famous tour OF the equa-
torial America. Dr. Won Schrenk found that
its trunk. four feet from the ground. had the
astounding girth of 126 feet.
An idea of it's vast age may be obtained by
comparing 1t with a cypress described by Prof
Asa Gray. which, although only IA feet In cir
conference, was $40 years old. So slow Is the
growth of the cypress that this tree had required
nearly seven centuries to attain diameter OF
"a inches.
DIR. Won Schrenk. now an horticultural expert
with laboratory at the Missouri botanical gar
den in St. Louis was in 1903 connected with the
United States forestry service. While travelling
through southern Mexico he determined to In
spect the Santa Maria del Tule cypress. Arriving
at the village, he introduced himself as an oista
of the United States government who wished &c
examine the famous tree. The mayor welcomed
him with elaborate ceremony.
Dr. Won Schrenk learned that the tree wa:
regarded as sacred in the vicinity and that Il
was guarded night and day by two soldier senti
nels Escorted by numerous and dignihed 9
retinue as the mayor could muster, he marched
to the little graveyard In which the cypress
stands.
Before the broad and towering bulk OF Till
one nfe which has persisted without interruption
since the date Of the dawning Of history the vis
tor halted in awe. Had the foliaged creature pos
sessed eyes and a tongue. what treasures OF IN
, formation could It have added to the annals o
man!
: But flights Of fancy gave way to immediate Sc
! entinc duties Authorities on trees had declare
/ the discovery Of the approximate age OF thl
: cypress to be one Of the most important problem
j in arboriculture. They had expressed q mop
= that the next scientist who should visit the al
cient living monument would not fail to complet
the evidence needed.
t The mayor of Santa Maria del Tule. however
e opposed a barrier of adamant. Measure the eli
v conference of the tree? Surely. Photograph 1t
" Indeed yes But to take an instrument and Dor
r from the trunk a plug two feet deep and half
h inch In diameter? Horrors. no.
q In vain Dr. Won Schrenk urged that this e.
o. | pertinent had been made hundreds OF times witt
O out damage to trees. and that by counting tn
d rings shown on the plug he could learn the tree
n average rate OF growth and thus solve one
" the great scientific problems OF the world. tn
mayor was all humility and submissiveness. An