The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1882-06-23

Inc VarnlSh- tree from which the beautiful
Japan varnish is made, is also a native of
China and Japan. It is stsallish tree.
slightly resembling the ash in appearance.
with light-green, laureishaped leaves The
varnish exudes i'm the night, from incisions
made in the bark, and as it is very poisonous,
the workmen are obliged to perform their
labor with caution, often rubbing their bodies
with prepared OF inclosing their hands in
long gloves and their heads in linen wells. 1t
is thought by some that an exaggerated ac-
count of these precautions concerning the
poison varnish tree might have given rise to
the tabled story of the deadly upas
Still another remarkable production of
China is the oil-tree. This is a small shrub
like tree, often cultivated on the tea pIanta-
tions. The seeds are said to yield great
abundance of pure and esculent oil Itpro-
duces a profusion of beautiful white bios
SONS, and, when in full bloom, an orchard
of these trees appears like grove covered
with snow. In size and general appearance it
greatly resembles the American cherry-tree.
Near the little town of OrOtava, on the is
land Of Teneriffe, is the famous dragon tree;
seen and described by Humboldt, the great
scientific traveller. Near the ground it IS
forty eight feet in circumference, and at the
height of ten feet its diameter is twelve feet
At a short distance above the ground the
huge trunk divides into great number of
curious branches, each bearing single tuft
of bright green leaves at the top. The entire
height is only sixty feet and the maze of
uplifted branches, all appearing so nearly
alike, and all uniting TO the huge trunk at
single point, presents a strange and peculiar
aspect. Its growth is very slow and some
have thought it must have required thous-
and years to have reached maturity. Hum
boldt calculated it was one of the oldest
specimens of vegetable life ON the globe.
One of the most wonderful productions of
the vegetable world is the banyan-tree. 1t is
native of HindOstan and Cochin, China :;
and has been looked upon with reverence
and wonder inpast and present ages. There
is no other tree that resembles it in outward
form or general appearance. The strong
lateral branches that reach out from the
trunk send down numerous shoots that take
root in the ground, and form new trunks. In
this way grove is soon formed around the
parent stem, and eventually a forest, as it
were, arises, all connected, ard formed of a
single tree. One of the largest of these Gu
Aiouo trees now SIanuihRs Is on an lSldn0 IN
the Nerbuddah River, Hindostan. 1t has
three hundred and fifty large trunks, and
three thousand small ones; covers seven
acres of ground, and furnishes shelter for
seven thousand people. In clearing away
these trees, the numerous trunks are all
girdled, or cut, when it withers, and soon
commences to decay. When it becomes dry,
fire is applied. and often the whole mass is
consumed
One OF the most stupendous trees in the
world is the African baobab. Near the
mouth of the Senegal River there is a huge
specimen of this tree, thirty feet in diameter.
The massive Il uDk is short, and the ponder
Gus branches spread out in all directions,
producing vast, rounded top, large enough
for small forest. 1t is supposed to be near
ly ten thousand years old. When covered
with luxuriant green foliage, and a profu-
sion OF snowy blossoms, it presents truly
magnificent appearance and the traveller
can hardly believe, until he has made near
inspection, that so great mass of verdure
and flowers is owned and upheld by single
stem. The superstitious natives often gather
about the spot and celebrate the opening of
Its flowers with religious rights and heather
ceremonies.