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THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAGAZINE 



Photograph hy Newton W. Gulick 



THE CATHEDRAL OP BUENOS AIRES RESEMBLES THE MADELEINE OF PARIS 



But the rows of electric lights entwining the twelve Corinthian columns impress the 

 traveler from the north as a somewhat bizarre decoration. San Martin, the statesman and 

 soldier, who was primarily responsible for the independence of Argentina, Chile, and Peru, 

 lies buried within. 



Romano. The former represents a formal 

 French garden, with its clipped box 

 hedges, geometrical flower beds, statues, 

 and massive marble urns. The Roman 

 garden has statues of Pliny and of the 

 Roman wolf and vegetation and settings 

 distinctively Italian. 



The Argentine trees are puzzling to the 

 American visitor, as most of them have 

 no counterparts at home. There are a 

 few beeches, walnuts, etc., which are 

 easily recognized, but the majority have 

 no close relatives in continental. United 

 States. The names of the trees are not, 

 in the main, Spanish, but Guarani Indian, 

 such as timbo, ombii, jacarandd, or ibara- 

 pitd (most Guarani names are accented 

 on their last syllables). 



Generally speaking, the trees are hard- 

 woods — though there are a few cone- 

 bearers — and make very heavy, durable 

 lumber, usually of attractive color and 

 susceptible of taking a high polish. Most 

 of them are not used to any great extent 

 except locally. 



Many native species have wonderful 



flowers. In spring the timbo trees are 

 covered with masses of brilliant vermil- 

 ion blossoms, and the Upas with clusters 

 the shape and color of wisteria. Later 

 the palo borracho is covered with pink 

 and yellow lilies. 



The Zoological Garden, which adjoins 

 the Botanical Garden, is of more interest 

 from its beauty of setting than from its 

 collections. In the past few years the 

 animals have suffered from aftosa, the 

 foot and mouth disease, which has been 

 prevalent in Argentina, and many of the 

 cages are empty. 



Especially to be noted are the birds, 

 which are so tame that they wander 

 about the lawns and groves entirely at 

 will. On a sunny afternoon the Zoo is 

 well worth visiting, if only to see the 

 people. Nurse-maids with their charges, 

 school children, elderly ladies, people of 

 every class and caste, stroll leisurely along 

 the shady paths, rest on the benches, take 

 tea in the pavilion, or promenade past the 

 grand-stand, where a municipal band 

 plays classical and patriotic music. 



