A YOUNG NATURALIST. 219 



essence which evaporates so easily ; then the Laurus cinnamomum, 

 the bark of which is called cinnamon ; and lastly, sassafras, the 

 aromatic wood which is said to be a powerful sudorific." 



Our guide conducted us across a field of Indian corn or maize. 

 Europe is indebted to America for this valuable gramineous plant. 

 The common bread or tortilla of this country, which is a kind of 

 pancake, is made from it. Before the maize is quite ripe, it is 

 eaten boiled or parched ; in fact, generally throughout America, 

 it is used instead of barley or oats for feeding horses and cattle. 



As soon as Torribio entered his own plantation, he bent 

 down a few twigs of the masorcas without dividing them from 

 the stem. 



"Why do you bend those poor plants like that? Won't they 

 _ die ? " cried Lucien. 



" Yes ; in the first place, because they are annuals, and our 

 guide only hastened their death a few days ; besides, the ears 

 he cut are ripe, and will dry hanging to the stems which have 

 nourished them. This method is as simple as it is expeditious, 

 but could only be put into practice in countries where winter is 

 nothing but a spring." 



Behind the maize field there was a hedge covered with long 

 filaments of a golden-yellow colour. These filaments, which were 

 entirely devoid of leaves, grew all over the shrubs almost like a 

 thick cloak. 



" What is the name of this wonderful plant? " asked Lucien. 



" It is the sacatlascale," answered Torribio. 



" It is a sort of dodder," added gumichrast, " a plant of the 

 Convolvulus family. The European species is destroyed, because 

 it twines round certain vegetables and chokes them. Here, how- 

 ever, the sacatlascale is allowed to grow, because some use has 

 been found for it." 



" What could be made of these stalks, which are so delicate 

 that they break if I merely touch them ? " 



" They are first bruised, and then dried in the sun," replied 

 Torribio. " When they want to dye a black or yellow hue, all 

 they have to do is to boil the paste in iron, or mix it with alum." 



Whilst we were climbing the banks of the ravine, Lucien 



