The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1875-10-07
COW TREES.

WV
"Cow-rREEs? A likely storyr cx-
claimed BERTHE Lee, who for wonder,
was quietly seated in the library with his
Uncle George, intently reading an article
upon the tropical regions in which a
variety of trees were alluded to-among
others the cow-ree.
Uncle George, isn't this rather tall
TALK"
"What do you mean by tall talk, Her
bert?" asked his uncle, looking up from
his book
"Why, the idea of this fellow max
ing out such lot of wonderful trees,
from which the natives can help them
selves to everything imaginable-cven to
milk. l think that is rather steep brag-
ging."
"And I think Master Lee is rather con-
ceited, with his tall talk and steep
Dragging and somewhat slangy."
"Well, but really, Uncle George, is
there such a tree as the cow-tree?"
"To be sure there is; and if you will
lay aside your book and not interrupt me
with too many questions l Twill tell you all
l can about it.'
"Goodie! Pm all attention." exclaimed
Herbert, throwing down his book and
bounding over one or two chairs to seat
himself by his uncle's side.
"Bertie Lee, think you are near kin
to the monkey as Darwin would say
Now, do be quiet while tell you OF the
wonderful cow-tree. There are several
varieties belonging to this order, and all
native to tropical regions, which yield
white, blonde, milky juice, so closely re-
sembling milk that the trees are called
milk-trees or cow-trees. In many re-
spects the resemblance between the fluid
yielded by these trees and the milk of
cows is very close indeed; though, chem
ically considered, the two liquids widely
differ.
"The Juice of the Brosimum galacto
dendron, or COW tree of Venezuela, is said
to have very agreeable taste, somewhat
like that of sweet cream, with a slight
odor of balsam On being exposed to the
air for some time the cream, consisting of
membranes of a strongly animalized sub
stance, rises to the surface"
Cream, too, of all things! But, uncle,
how do they obtain this milk!''
every much as we do the sap from our
maple-trees, which you know is boiled
down into syrup and maple sugar. The
milk from the cow-tree is said to flow
more abundantly at early sunrise, when
incisions are made. And at dawn the ma
tives may be seen fastening from all quar-
ters to collect in bowls the agreeable bev-
erage."
"Does it keep fresh long,"
"No; it sours and becomes putrid on
exposure to the air for any length of
time-though not sooner, imagine, than
our milk would become in such hot eli
mate. As an article of food it is consid-
cred very nourishing, and during its sea
son of most abundant flow the natives
grow visibly fatter."
How tall are the trees ~ ,..Hr ..
"They grow TO the height of 100 feet or
over, the stem for the first sixty or sew
enty feet being destitute of branches.
"The Hya-hya, or cow-tree Of British
Guiana, which belongs to the same natu-
raj order as the Penang india-rubber tree,
also gives very wholesome milk, but it
is much thicker than cows milk. The
cow-tree of Ceylon, Gymnema lactaterum,
yields pleasant milk, which is used for
various purposes in cooking.
"The Massarauduba, or cow-tree of
Para, yields small quantity of juice as
| thick as cream, but it is too glutinous to
| be safe article of drink. 1t has pleas
ant flavor, however, and is used in tea and
| coffee. After exposure in the air for one
or two days it coagulates, and is then
much like gutta- -percha in point of elas-
ticity." - .. aa E
Herbert Lee here interrupted his un-
Gle by merry fit of laughter. 0,-
"What IS the matter, Bertie? What
are you laughing att" ....a..
"Just imagine fellow taking good
bowl of this glutinous milk, and then
having all his insides stiffened up like
guttapercha. / fancy he would look
somewhat like man have heard of as
swallowing ramrod.'" -.. ...
Rather stiff, to be sure," laughingly
responded his uncle; shut the tempera-
ture of the stomach would hardly permit
of such stiffening if the milk was copi-
ously used as drink. 1t is probably in
furious in other ways. But there is an
other variety of this wonderful tree which
| is, considered valuable, for more than one
purpose. lis the Chasia galactodendron,
native of Venezuela. 1t yields milk
which is not alone valuable for domestic
purposes, but also as medical agent,
ut contains resinous and astringent
principle, and is aromatic and tonic. II
is said to be used with very happy effect in
the treatment Of dysentery, so destructive
in hot climates. The milk, am told has
been kept in tight bottles many months" "