The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1923-03-01

"A Mexico-NatfveS Say mat tradition
Gives Age at From $50 to 400 Year,
Age of Trees Recently Scientin
caIIy Determined by Experts Of Unit
ed States Forest Service.
An apple orchard more than q Gen.
fury old that has fourished under
three governments and fed men of
three races and still bears, is one Of
| the latest discoveries in the sOuthW est,
made recently by officers Of the United
States forest service, says the Chi
cago Daily News.
| That is, the orchard has been known
for long time, but the age of the
trees was only scientifically deter
mined last summer. Until experts had
| cut down one of the trees and count
ed the rings, no one who knew any,
thing about apple trees would believe
that the orchard had stood for CEN
fury. Now they know that some of
the smallest trees have lived that long,
and 1t seems logically certain that
some of the larger ones must have
lived great deal longer. Further
more, many Of the trees now standing
In this venerable orchard look as
though they had grown from the
stumps or roots of former genera
ton Of apple trees which had fallen
or been cut down. The natives living
thereabouts say that tradition gives
the age Of the orchard at from $50 to
400 years. 1t seems possible that in
sense they are right. There is rea-
son to believe that the ancestors, at
least, of the present trees were plant
ed in the Seventeenth century.
This historical orchard is located
near the little town of Manzano on
the eastern slope of the Manzano
mountains in central New Mexico
Manzano Is the Spanish word for ap-
pie. Both the mountain range and
town have taken their names from Nle
ancient trees. The priest In the
custodian of the orchard, tells inquir-
ers that the trees have been growing
there for $50 years. according to the
tradition which has been handed down
from padre to padre through the gem
erations. The oldest native inhabi-
tants of the little town believe that
the orchard has been there for 400
years. That date is improbable, for
the Spanish exploration of the south
west had scarcely begun so long ago,
and apple trees were certainly brought
to America by Europeans.
Relies Of Heroic Aue.
But the priest, when he claims that
the orchard is more than two CEN
turtles old, has strong historical evil
dence on his side. For these trees al
most certainly are relics Of that he
roic age in the history Of the south
west when Spanish priests and SOL
diers were there engaged in subdu-
Ing great wilderness of savages for
the king Of Spain and the church Of |
Rome At every one Of the pueblo
villages which dot this region the |
Spaniards built great churches Of stone |
and left few priests to teach those |
savages the fear of God and also the |
culture of crops and herds. The |
Pueblos. were already farmers, rails
ng corn and cotton and melons, but
hey had no domestic animals and |
10 fruit trees.
The padres, armed with nothing but
he cross, took their stand In hostile
wilderness as the prophets of religion
md civilization. In some instances
hey were murdered by the Indians
# their own flocks. More often they
in winning the friendship
Il the Pueblos, only to be overwhelmed
" the wild tribes Of the Navajos and
Apaches which waged an incessant
warfare upon both the Pueblo Indi-
MS and the Spaniards. In some in
tances these brave Franciscan friars
riumphed over all difficulties and dali
ers. Some Of the ancient mission
hurches still stand and are still In
Sc. Many Of the greatest ones are
I ruins.
Now one Of these ancient ruined
hurches stands not far from the an
lent Manzano orchard, and q good
cal is known Of its history In the
eventeenth century q large Indian
ueblo known as Quarai stood at this
pot and 1t is recorded that the Fran
scan fathers built this mission church
Quarai in the year 1929. It is also
nown that In 1875 1t was abandoned
n the reason that the Navajos had
,peatedly raided 1t, killed priests and
endly Indians and destroyed crops.
was an outpost Of civilization which
,uld not stand against the savages.
Heap Of Stone Left.
OF Quarai, both pueblos and church,
,thing now remains but a heap Of !
one, and a few massive walls that ;
low how patiently and well those old !
>aniards built. Nothing was left !
I've In the vicinity except the apple
ees. For 1t seems almost certain :
ut the original trees Of the orchard :
Ere planted by the Franciscan friars /,
the Quarai mission, and If that
the case, the original trees must =
I'VE been planted before the year .
rs, which would make them at least =
years old OF course, the original