ARBORICULTURE 



285 



Architecture. 



There is a minimum of wood used for 

 house construction in the cities of Mex- 

 ico, and there is absolutely nothing to 

 burn except what furnishings the houses 

 may contain. The walls are solidly built 

 of stone and brick, or, in the less costly 

 structures, of adobes, which are thickly 

 plastered inside and. out with mortar -or 

 stucco. The floors are of brick, stone or 

 tiles, while the roofs are of brick, laid in 

 mortar, or, in some cities, of semi-cylin- 

 drical clay tiles. Many roofs are arched 

 with brick, laid fiat, not on edge, and it 

 is marvelous how slight a curve is given 

 some of these arches. Yet they support 

 heavy weights and have lasted through 

 centuries. 



Flat brick roofs are supported by Gx6 

 inch hewn pine joists, placed eight inches 

 apart. These joists are often twenty feet 

 in length. The doors are heavy, hanging 

 upon ornamented wrought stra-" hinges, 

 and secured by strong hand-made locks, 

 which have remarkablv large, compli- 

 cated keys. Practically the only wood 

 used in construction are the doors and 

 joists which sunnort the roof. 



The church roofs are invariably of 

 brick arches, usually several arches in 

 each. 



There are no such fire-traps in Mexico 

 as those Mansard roofs of French and 

 American cities, or the frail dwellings of 

 China, or the universal wooden structures 

 which have made fire insurance so great 

 a burden in the United States, and which 

 cause so great and continuous expendi- 

 tures for fire protection. 



Insurance in the Mexican Eepublic 

 must be almost eliminated. 



I ascended the circular stairways of 

 numerous old church towers. All are 

 built of cut stone, so laid in the wall as 

 to strengthen the narrow tower, form 

 the steps, and also build the central post 

 running from bottom to top of every 

 tower. From these elevations the best 

 views of the city and country were ob- 

 tained. 



In the hotels, as in private houses, the 

 large open courts around which the build- 

 ings are constructed are filled with trees 



and plants, a fountain helping to cool the 

 atmosphere, while beautiful flowers, 

 growing in large, handsome vases, give a 

 tropical appearance to every place. All 

 stairways are of stone. Except in the 

 center of the more populous cities, the 

 houses are of one story. All structures 

 are built for durability, many having sur- 

 vived through centuries. 



Mexican houses are very comfortable 

 for either warm or cold weather, as 

 neither the heat ]ior frost can penetrate. 

 They are clean and scrupulously neat, 

 while sanitation is unusually good. A 

 simple mat of native reeds or a rug cov- 

 ers the floor. The rooms are quite large, 

 with high ceilings, giving ample air cir- 

 culation. There are many features which 

 could be profitably adopted by American 

 architects, which, in modifications, would 

 greatly improve country and city homes 

 of the United States. Both Moorish and 

 Spanish styles prevail. 



The gardens within the inner courts 

 are often marvels of beauty. Trees, fruits 

 of the tropics, vines and flowers, foun- 

 tains and masses of fragrant blossoms are 

 abundant in every home. The plain ex- 

 terior of Mexican homes is more than 

 compensated for by the elegance of these 

 interior courts. 



Except in comparatively few cases of 

 modern structures in the larger cities, 

 Americans build for to-day. As much 

 outward show as possible for the small- 

 est sum of money. Wood has heretofore 

 been the most abundant material, and, 

 on account of price of labor, cheapest in 

 construction. 



In Mexico all structures are perma- 

 nent. Magnificent Cathedrals, contain- 

 ing grand paintings of the old masters, 

 in large numbers; elegant hotels, as near 

 proof against fire and decay as human 

 skill can make them; brick, stone or tile 

 form the walls, floors, roofs and stair- 

 ways; aqueducts built centuries ago are 

 as perfect as when erected. The Mexi- 

 cans are masters of the art of irrigation 

 and of masonry. 



