Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1939-05-18
The Morgan McConne

all through the year. A Mayan was
gathering corn the last week in
February. One crop only is taken,
and the soil goes back to jungle
again In five years the jungle is
high again, and catches the dust
from the air, and holds the decaying
vegetation. The soil is thus so soon
recuperated, and another crop is
procured. The forest itself is in ev-
cry stage of growth, according to
the time it was cut last Some un-
molested trees are 60 feet high,
forming a contrast with the rest.
Where trees are burned, charcoal is
gathered and marketed. Along the
roadside great piles of charcoal IN
bags were seen awaiting removal.
There is an interesting mixture in
the primeval forests. In one acre
alone in Chiapas was counted 164
different species.
Hundreds Of parasites may be
found on one tree. Air-breathers do
not seem to hurt the trees. Others
sap the life of the tree, and it even
tually gives up. Some unlimited
guests crush out the life. The
stranger fig does this (Ficus Brew
folia). 1t is a pitiful sight. A royal
palm is finally covered to the top
and life extinct. Various vines, call
! ed lianas, act the same way. They
reach a thickness of several inches,
and reinforce themselves in their
deadly work by sending shoots to
the ground from the lofty limbs.
Sisal, or henequen, from which we
| get our binder twine, grows in great
/ areas of hundreds of acres. Once
the property of great farms, or haci-
/ endas, or it is now all appropriated
| by the Mexican government. 1t pays
! the worker small wage, with a
promise of a dividend at the end OF
the year. The plant grows to a
i mans height in seven years, and is
i leaves is removed every year foI
about 20 years. 1t then goes tc
seed. This seed terminates on the
tree, and little plants are formed
there, which after a while fall &c
the ground to grow about the par
ent stem. Then the parent dies
Mules pull little carts of sisal or
! small railways to the mill. We went
through a building where the sisa
is prepared. The leaves are fed into
the mill and threshed, like wheat is
threshed The juice is pressed out
and the fiber comes away a brign1
green On the racks it dries out &C
a beautiful white. and looks like
locks of long white hair. 1t is ther
baled for shipment.
AS we move along the road, birds
of brilliant color are seen. They are
! of many sizes too The cardinal
and mocking bird are everywhere
The vulture or zopilote, crowds ths
road by the hundreds, and we have
, to drive slowly not to injure them
They are of course the scavengers
Of the highways, and protected by
the government with a heavy fine
for destroying them. I saw dog
carrying a little pig, and vulturt
following him at great speed. The
dog stopped, and pitched battle
ensued. The dog had stolen the pie
from the vulture
Our attention is called to tht
iguanas. large lizard about two ol
three feet long. They are the dimin
utive children of the ancient demo
saurs. They scurry across the road
They stop and bow up and down
saluting us, the guide said. Whel
, angry they puff up rising about si7
:. inches from their ordinary posture
They carry pounch like a dewlal
hanging from the throat. They art
a bright green with black stripe:
around the body. We raced one I'll
a tree, and when | stood below him
he jumped, and disappeared in tht
forest. People eat them and praise
them, saying they have the taste o
fried chicken. Another lizard VIZ
saw, which they called Xtolot
(Stowlock). Like the iguanas he
too crossed the road ahead of us
He was black, with a fine crest, like