Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1937-01-14
SAVE JOSHUA TREE
FROM EXTINCTION
National Monument Is Gre
ated for Conservation.

Washington, d. c. - The rare
Joshua tree, a lily that grows to
a height of sixty feet, will be saved
from extinction by the establishment
of the newly created Joshua Tree
national monument in California.
''In San Bernadino and Riverside
counties, south of the Mojave desert.
825, 43O acres of primitive desert has
been set aside for conservation and
named in honor Of these shaggy
green plants" says the National
Geographic society.
"The barren Little San Bernard
inc mountains and the Colorado riv-
er aqueduct just above the popular
resort, Palm Springs, in Coachella
valley, bound the area to the south.
Rocky mesas in the mountains are
favorite stands for the Joshua tree,
which refuses to thrive in the bak-
ing Pinto basin below.
Rising from the low fuzz Of sage
green mesquite, Joshua trees are
the tallest growth to be seen in the
desert. A single tree is equivalent
to a whole colony of porcupines, for
It bears clusters of long bladellke
leaves ending in sharp rigid points.
Named by Mormons.
"Mormons gave the tree its Bib
ical name because it pointed the
way to their Promised Land. Less
wander-weary travellers of today,
however, have observed that it also
points in every other direction, in
Guiding up and down. The pictur-
esque folk name has survived, new
ertheless, since this grotesque
growth almost requires a stranger
label than tree yucca or yucca
brevifolia. Praying tree is another
nickname for this devout shrub, be-
cause it's many forked branches
weirdly resemble arms flung heav-
onward in prayer.
''The Joshua trees trunk. a foot
or two in diameter, is single col
umn as far as, or slightly above,
the normal height of a man. Then
it bursts suddenly into clusters OF
branches, each branch dividing and
each division subdividing, expand
ing into a globular tangle of forks
from 10 to 40 feet high. The tallest
on record, over 60 feet, was demol-
'1.iad by yanda1s. Unmolested, it
NAV reach an .>se Of century OF
two.
Like other species of the yucca,
it is a desert-blooming lily, as Its
spring flowers betray. No doubt do
ing the best it can under the cir
cumstances, the Joshua tree bios
som still has no lilylike charm. 1t
is whitish, but not white. Its frag-
rance recalls that of the toadstocl
rather than that OF its elegan. East
er sister.
dead leaves, like broken bayo-
nets, form protective thatch cling
ing to trunk and branches. The lit
tie wood rat is said to tug these dis
carded weapons to the mouth Of
his hole to build a spiked barricade
against intruders.
Has Many Uses.
"The Joshua trees formidable ar
senal does not brighten off the sly
little wild things with which the
'lifeless' desert teens. Humming
birds, so populovs in the southwest
ern desert areas, flutter over its
blossoms. SCOTS oriole accounts for
many dash of yellow on the gray
green Joshua, where the cup-shaped
fiber nest is hung among the trees
protective spikes.
"Resourceful Indians formerly
turned to the Joshua to serve do
mestic pGrposea. It's seeds were
pounded 10 meal for Indian muSh.
Fibers from leaves were woven
into baskets, ropes, hats, and even
horse blankets. Pulp from the stem
was converted into kind of soap.
Later attempts to use the tree
were less success sful. Desert home
steaders who tried to build Joshua
log cabins found themselves pro-
vided with all toe collapsible homes.
The pulp however, made paper.
Several issues of newspapers in the
United States and England were
even printed on it, but finally the
project was abandoned as unprofit-
able.
. "The lightweight layers of wood
which can be sawed from the tree
make excellent protective tubes
around the bases of young fruit
trees. Because the wooden sheets
are pliable in one direction anc
rigid in the other, they have value
as surgical splints to protect broker
bones. Rarity of the Joshua tree
however, prevents extensive indus
trial use.
"Groves are known only in hal
hundred spots of southwestern
United States. They are mysterious
ly dependent for perpetuation on thu
yucca moth, a special species o
which is the only means of pollina
ton. The moth unwittingly perform
its duty by the Joshua tree whel
gathering a ball of pollen to pluI
up the hole in which its eggs ar
laid"