Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1856-11-08
The Magical Mango.

Everybody has heard Of tie Indian
J"gg!ers tick 'f producing a young
mang"-tree from seed which lie take,
from his bag and submits to your ex
animation. The seed is sound and Il,
for planting. The jueqler collects a
quantity Of earth. moisteus it with water
and, taking mango stone from his bag
plants it j" the earth he has prepared
Ov'r all. he places moderat. sized
round basket, upon which he spreads bis
cloth or II native blanket After al in.
tetvat Of d'scordant music and inc;.nta
ton, the cloth aud basket are removed,
the muddy seed taken fom the earth,
and you observe that long. slender, white
tihres, forming the root, have suddenly
shot out Agai" it is planted, and Gov
cred rs before. and the music becomes
more di>co'lant, aud the incantation
more furious. A, length the charm is
complete. and the removal Of the basket
display Il young and tender shoot, with
two opening leaves at its summit. Ex-
CARNATIONS Of surprise from the bystau-
d-rs, and satisfaction from the band OF
jugsl.rs compile e the second act. Agai,
all is Covered up anew, and the ear split
ting music goes or. Suddenly, the GOV
eriny> are removed. and, to tie amaze
m.nt and delight Of all, the fist shoot OF
young mango-,ree, with its small.
light coIored leaves, makes its appear
ancr.
"Seven years ago" Says correspon-
dent Of Chambers Journal, IL was the
spectator of such scene at Madras.
where had gone on sick leave, and was
glad Of any s,nu-ememt to relieve the
monotony If a forced confinement t, the
house. l had n sl'rewd suspicion that
u could examine this tree Of miracu.
!"us growth j, would turn out very
simple affair. Acting on this idea, |
suddenly seized it. and, in spit" O. the
c'nmor If the juggle's. bore it off. II
certainly ha! the appearance Of a real
mango shoot. There WAS the 'l;rtyst"ne,
We, and di>c"l"retl. with The earth cling
ing to it. From its lower part the
white fibres Of :Le recent root str-amed
out with most natural appearance,
whilst from the upper side sprany I"
perfect young shoot, six or eight inches
in height, with the leaves III their earliest
growth. A basin Of water solved the
mystery, for, on washing the stone, |
found it old and dry, and split down on
one side. From ITS cavity | took out n
small bundle Of grass roots. one end Of
which was tied witt, thread, and with
drew the young shoot of the mango from
tue top # the sto' e. Here you have
only one part Of the apparatus Of decep
ton. 1t is perfected in the following
mar per: The nango, aD evergreen,
grows in almost every large garden ]"
I"dia. A confederate first pulls sufi
,i.nt quantity Of the roots ofgrass wh,cl.
are white, long aud fibsvus, and rese'n
bic the fir,t growth Of roots from the
mango seed. lie ties them up, inserts
the tie-enI in the cleft stone, and gives
hem secretly with the cloth to his ch'et,
who plants u mango stone with the
roots. The moist earth in which it is
buried removes all appearance Of deep
ton. Again the confederate is ready
with his progressive slips cf mango,
which, at every removal Of the basket,
he c",',rives to place With" reach If the
operator without hring seen; and the
latter, III his m."'v'lati"ns whilst cover
ing up the basket with the cloth, slips
them into the upper part Of the slit j"
the mango st"ne. The same process
may lie continued so AS I" give You the
fruit growing j" its various stages. but
this. oi course, must depend on the trick
being performed IN the fruit season. !
WAS twenty three years in India, an!
never met with anybody who could
explain the modus operandi If this trick:
though *'m',s, al!-no. ail felt satisfied
that it was \ trick"