The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1869-10-09
fnfoamatton.


xufn1 IN afint1
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v.-..L.n,. Erie.
81
encs (;ossip IN Epslish periodical, gives an n-
.o,...;, ...o.n. ~ ,hres Of the most rsmark.
soie trees kno"a W S''s"'''s'
1t 10 rather singular that three trees. 90 vide
ly separated in their properties as the Bread.
fruit. the Cow, aud the Upas, should neverthe-
les he nearly related and all members OF one
and the sstue family. the Art0cdrpe@ OF H. Brown.
The frst-named. the Bresdfruit lArtOcavpusj
which, in tact. givea its name to the order, IL
common In The islauds OF the southern Ocean,
and 10 cultivated in many parts of the tropical
world Indeed, it wac when Captain Bligh was
on voyage to introduce the Artocarpus 'acisG
into our West India possess'ons, that the famous
'Mutsny OF the Bounty occurred in the year
1IS7 The attempt was more successful in 1888
The great value OF the tree consists in its fruit,
which constitutes an important article OF food.
When nearly rips, 1t Weighs three or four pounds,
and Is as large - the heed OF young child IL OF
Rrscnish color, ANA enclosed IN thick rind.
The SOFT: tender interior can easily be divided
or s''ced' ana forms an excellent dish when
cooked having the appearance OF new bread.
with something III the flavor OF the artichoke.
In many OF the fscihc Islands 1t affords the prin-
cipt' means OF support to the natives through .
largo part OF the year. Another species, the
jack "a. sntegryoIsa,) has much Larger and
longer Iruit: OF pear shape, eighteen inches IN
Hene'n' ana often weighing tolrfy or forty
Pouaas' IL ]. utilized IN the same way as the
true breadfruit, but is not considered 80 great .
oehcaoy. Inc Cow.tree (GaHctOdendron) Is OF
oeneht to mankind in totally different manner.
cne OF the peculiaritles OF the ArE0carpas family
Is tne presence In the stem, leaves fruit, etc, OF
m'lk-llke Juice, which Is usually OF poison
Qua nature; out even 1t innocuous, 1t Is not gen.
orally produced IN sufficient Quantities to make
~ OF any service. In the Cow.tree, however,
this huid is not only without injurious proper
ties' out exists SO abundantly. that when an in
olsion Is made IN the trunk copious stream is-
sues forth, IN no respect inferior to the milk
proceeding from the COW. Humboldt, who was
the hrst to publish notice ct the Gnlactoden-
dron, says: For many weeks we had heard
great deal OF tree whose juice Is nourishing
milk an assertion which startled us the more.
~ almost all iactescent vegetable hulds are &C
fid' oitter' and more or less poisonous. Expert
ence however proved TO u.s. during our resi-
oence at barbuia, that the virtues OF the Cow.
tree or fISs de Vdea, have not been exaggerated.
IL was offered to us in calabashes, and, though
we drank large Quantities OF it. both at night
before going TO oed and again the following
morning, we experienced no uncomfortable ef-
!ects. The visc'dity OF this milk alone renders
1t rather unpleasant to those who are unaccus-
toned to it. The negroes and free people, who
work on the plantations, use it by soaking ia 1t
bread made from maize manioc, aropa, and cas-.
sava; ms marvellous tree appears to be con-
hned TO the mountain-ranges on the northern
coast OF Venezuela, where it is found at the
height OF looo to l2oO feet above the sea level:
lts trunk frequently has circumference of
eight feet. with white close'grained wood, not
nniike that OF the BOX. The third member OF
thus remarkable trio as noted in its evil quail
tes as It's relatives are for their useful proper
ties: l allude to the deadly Upas tree OF Java
lnn 30 'efscdred!. were We bound to believe
an the stories which travellers have reported OF
It, we should see before US sort of vegetable
monster without an equal In Its death-deaiing
P o' n cH,"".I y. suul'efa'ou s"t0o sciu'
H. II -: