Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1942-07-16

kinds of trees On an acre of ground.
Trees support great vines, called
lianas, sometimes as thick as a.
mans body. Growth is so luxuriant
that the sun fails to penetrate and
it is dark and damp.
A'man must; tunnel through with
machete, big knife two feet
long. BY the way, all machetes
saw were stamped collins Co.,
Connecticut, made in U. S. A.
Most of trees are covered with
parasites, one plant living on an
other. They are of infinite variety,
cactus, fern, lily, orchid, and many
other species in the tropics become
parasites, Of every form and csaor.
There are 200 orchids. I am told
60 of these are found at Tamu-
zunchale. Trees are not bare as in
our land, but body and limbs are
covered with plant-growths. All
carpentry is done with the machete.
''With it they shear sheep, trim
nails carve food, and crop corn,
cane and bananas" using it on wild
beasts, but not on wild men.
There are so kinds of bananas.
In nine months they are ready for
market They grow like Jack
and the beanstalk. One cash and
the stem is severed, then another
and the stalk is FILLED to the
ground. Another year the scion
springs up to bear that years fruit.
For ages this process has gone on.
The seed is discouraged, and SO,
cultivated out. Observe only
vestige of seed is left.
The U. S. Fruit company has this
monopoly, sending to us 100000
900 stems year, one stem to every
three persons. The blossom-bud is
heart-shaped, under every leaf Of
the bud is a new row of blossoms,
the plant blooming, while the
fruit natures, with immense repro
ductive energy, truly tropical, and
prolific.
Coffee grows at an altitude Of
1000 to 10000 feet. Leaves are
glossy and dark green, the cherries
red but not sweet On old trees
there are two kinds of berries, an
old green one, and a new red one.
Maxwell coffee is made entirely
from the old green, round berries.
Each landowner is likely to have
his coffee plot. Maybe he spreads
his coffee harvest on the smooth
cement road, where all the burros
pass along. "Unclean?" you ask.
No they answer. eve have to
hull the coffee, and that cleans it,"
Nopal cactus is peeled and fried.
We like it, it is like eggplant. 1t
contains all vitamins, as does chilli.
Chayote, white root, is like po-
tato, very good. Camote is a squash
for soup. Cherimoya and sapote
are sweet like Nancy, and found in
every market.
There are $40 plants recommend
ed as medicinal. Papaya once COM
mercialized as a pepsin for the
stomach, is shaped like pears and
melons. Cacao, or cocoa hangs like
a small melon from the bole. or
large limbs Of the tree. This mel
on is filled with beans, the source
of chocolate, when roasted and
ground.
OF 400 trees, $50 are valuable.
Cedar, mahogany, ebony, logwood,
s9pote and rosewood head the list.
Sapote products chicle. Ceiba, ali
mo, fresno (ash). encino (oak),
rubber, jacaranda and potosi are
useful, mango and avocado delic-
iOus.
There are 200 palm trees, includ-
ing date and cocoanut. The agave
(maguey) gives twine for reapers,
pulque, mescal and tequila (bran-
dyl for strong drink. Women spin
sisal as they walk. The greatest
variety of plants in all the world is
found in Mexico. Resources are un-
limited. Soil is black and fertile.
Spread water and you have a gar
den. Rain in the desert is sudden
ly followed by brilliant flowers The
4O,OOO,000 acres now cultivated,
could be doubled. The surface is
scarcely scratched Vera Cruz port
annually ships two-thirds of the
worlds silver. A crop of educated
young people is the best crop of ALL
The hope of Mexico is the gospel
and the school. Il1iteracy has been
reduced from 92% to 62% in ten
years.-Howard H. Scott, Monter-
rey, Mexico, Feb. 6, 1912.