is astonishing.

It makes a handsome and ornamental shade tree, having graceful
branches, feathery leaves and fragrant flowers, and could be cultivated
to advantage for yard and park purposes.

Its principal value, however, lies in its seed pods, which grow in
clusters and look like string beans. The mesquite bean furnishes a
superior article of food and feeds about everything that either walks
or flies on the desert. The Indians make meal of the seed and bake it
into bread. Cattle that feed on the open range will leave good grass
to browse on a mesquite bush. Even as carnivorous a creature as the
coyote will make a full meal on a mess of mesquite beans and seem to be
satisfied. The tree exudes a gum that is equal to the gum arabic of
commerce.

The palo verde is a tree without leaves and is a true child of the
desert. No matter how hot and dry the weather the palo verde is always
green and flourishing. At a distance it resembles a weeping willow
tree stripped of its leaves. Its numerous long, slender, drooping
branches gracefully criss-cross and interlace in an intricate figure of
filigree work. It has no commercial value, but if it could be
successfully transplanted and transported it would make a desirable
addition to green-house collections in the higher latitudes.

The romantic mistletoe that is world renowned for its magic influence
in love affairs, grows to perfection in southern Arizona. There are
several varieties of this parasitic plant that are very unlike in
appearance. Each kind partakes more or less of the characteristics of
the tree upon which it grows, but all have the glossy leaf and waxen
berry.

CHAPTER IX

HOOKER'S HOT SPRINGS

Arizona has several hot springs within her borders but, perhaps, none
are more valuable nor picturesquely located than Hooker's hot springs.
These springs are located in the foothills on the western slope of the
Galiura mountains in southeastern Arizona, thirty-five miles west of
Willcox on the Southern Pacific Railroad. The spot is beautifully
situated, commanding an extended view of valley and mountain scenery.

There are a dozen springs, big and little, in the group and are
scattered over several acres of hillside. The temperature of the water
is 130 degrees Fahrenheit and too hot to drink but, if sipped slowly,
it makes an admirable hot-water draught. The springs evidently have
their source deep down in the earth and the flow of water never vari