The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-05-31
Remarkable and Historic Trees.

Remarkable and Historic Trees
There are numerous remarkable ano
historic trees, among which may Ot
named the bread fruit tree of Ceyloni
the fruit of which is baked and eaten
as we eat bread, and is equally goot
and nutritious In Barbutu, South
America. is a tree which by piercing
the trunk produces milk, with which
the inhabitants feed their children. III
the interior of Africa is tree which
produces excellent butter, 1t resem-
iles the American oak, and its fruit,
from which the butter is prepared, is
not unlike the olive. The great
traveller. Park, declared that the but
ter surpassed any made in England
from cows milk. At Sierra Leone
is the cream fruit tree, which is quite
agreeable in taste. Al Table bay,
near the cape of Good Hope is small
tree. the berries of which make eX-
celleEt candles. 1t is also found in
the Azores. The vegetable talloW tree
also grows in Sumatra; and the bark
Of tree in China produces a beautiful
soap. The talvpot tree in Ceylon
grows to the height of one hundred
feet, the leaf of which is so large that
it will cover nearly twenty people,
like an umbrella. Tie banyan tree
is wonderful it never dies, and is
constantly extending, for as the
branches shoot downward they take
root. and thus produce other trees,
whose branches in like manner extend
downward, and resembling large oaks,
the fruit of which is much like rich
scarlet FIGS and furnishes n luxurious
subsistence to monkeys and birds OF
every description.
The pippul tree is said to be "the
most completely beautiful of all which
adorn the wide garden of Nature
The Hindoos called it the Tree of
God" and the religious fig" because
under its shade they suppose their god
Vishnu was born. 1t is held by them
i'm such veneration that the form Of
the leaves is only allowed to be paint
ed on furniture used by the princes.
They plant them as memorials of
persons deceased. They serve also for
shade for travellers. The Chinese feed
vast mum GERS of silllworms on this tree.
One of tho most remarkable trees in
history is the great dragon tree, which
was blown down by a hurricane n few
years since at Orotava, in the island
of TeneritTe. 1t was IA stately tree,
about eighty feet high, as early as a.
D., 1902. and so old and remarkable
n tree then as to excite particular
notice and care for its preservation.
Humboldt spoke of it some siXty-two
years ago aud computed it 20 be 5000
years old. Sir George Staunton had
previously brought into notice in I'LL.
A cypress tree in Oaxaca, Mexico,
which forty three years ago measured
one hundred and twenty feet in height,
one hundred and seventeen feet zen
inches in circumference. and which
sheltered Herman Cortez and his fol-
lowers under its widespreading branch
es, is now 5000 years old.
A type of antiquity in the vegetable
kingdom is that Of fig tree in Cey Ion,
planted, according to documentary
and traditional evidence, 2SS B. c.,
making it 2,l65 years old.
The Oldest oak in England in Here
fordshile, i stu. ted in II; ticld. Park.
1t is over thousand yeas old
Another old oak IS the "Parliament
Oak" from the tradition of Edward
/. holding a parliament under its
branches, on one of the estates of the
Duke of Portland. 1t is considered
to be thirteen hundred years old. The
tallest oak in England was the proper
ty of the same n1bleman, and was
called the Dukes Waikingstick," 1t
was higher than Westminster Abbey
The largest oak is known as "CalthrOT
Oak, -" Yorkshire; it measures seventy
eight feet round the ground, while the
"Three shire Oak" at WorksOp, is Sc
called from its shade covering part o
three counties.