Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1856-11-28

THE MAGICAL MANGO. - Everybody has
heard of the Indian juggler's trick of produ-
cling young mango-tree from a seed which
he takes from his bag and submits to your
examination. The seed is sound and fit for
planting. The iuggler collects a quantity of
earth, moistens it with water, and, taking
mango stone from his bag, plants it in the
earth he has prepared. Over ALL he places
moderate sized round basket, upon which he
spreads his cloth or native blanket. After
an interval of discordant music and incanta-
tiOn, the cloth and basket are removed, the
muddy seed is taken from the earth, and you
observe that long, slender. white fibres, form
ing the root, have suddenly shot out. Again
it is planted, and covered as before, and the
music becomes more dscordant, and the in>
cantation more furious At length the charm
Is complete, and the remOeal of the basket
displays a young and tender shoot, with two
opening leaves at its summit. Exclan tiOns
Of surprise from the bystandcrs, and satisfiic-
tion from the band of jugglers complete the
second act. Again all is covered up anew,
and the enr-spitting music goes on. Sud
denly, the coverings are removed. and, to the
amlzement and delight of all, the first shoot
of mango tree, with its small, light>colored
leaves, makes its appearance.
Seven years ago says a correspon-
dent of Chambers Journal was the spec
tator of such scene at Madras, where had
gone on sick leave, and was glad of any
amusement to relieve the monotony of u
'Jrccd confinement to the house. | had
shrcwd suspicion that il | could examine this
tree OF miraculous growth it would turn out
a very simple affair. Acting on this idea,
suddenly seized it, and, in spite of the clamor
OF the lugglers, bore it off. 1t certainly had
th' appearance of a real mango shoot. There
WIS the dirty stone, wet aud discolored, with
t'n earth clinging to it.
Fiom its lower part, the white fbres OF tho
recent root strcamed out with most natural
appearance, whilst from the upper side sprang
- }orlect young shoot, six or eight inches in
height, with the leaves in their earliest
growth. a basin of water solved the mystic
ry, for. on washing the stone, | found it old
anc dry, and split down on one side. From
its cavity took out IL small bundle of grass
roots, one end of which was tied with thread,
anc withdrew the young shoot of the mango
from the top of the stone. Here
YOU have only one part Of the apparatus of
deception. 1t is perfected in the following
manner: The mango, an evergreen, grows in
allnst every large garden in India. con-
iedeate first pulls a sufficient quantity of the
roots of grass which are white, long and f.
broul, and resemble the first growth of roots
from the mango seed lie ties them up, in
sertsthe tie end in the cleft stone, and gives
them secretly with the cloth to his chief, who
pantsa mango stone with the roots. The
moist mrth in which it is buried removes all
Appearances of deception. Again the con-
federatt Is ready with his progressive slips of
mango, which, at every removal of the bas-
ket, he tontrives to place within the reach of
the operator without being seen; and the
latter, in his manipulations whilst covering
up the basket with the cloth, slips them into
the upper part of the slit in the mango stone.
The same process may be continued so rs to
give you tie fruit growing in its various
stages, but this, of course, must depend on
the trick being performed in the fruit season.
was twentythree years in ledia, and never
met with anybody who could explain the mo
dus operandi Of this trick, though almost all
not all felt satisfied that is was trick. I"