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

udes in abundance. Most vegetable Juices
: of this description are nauseating or poison
Gus but the milk of the cow-tree is said to
be sweet and nutritious
In the West Indies there is another curious
production, termed the cabbage tree. 1t is
a large tree, from four to six feet in dame
ter at the base, and generally rises straight
, as plumb line to a height of from one to
two hundred feet Scarcely leaf or branch
puts out until near the top, where it assumes
a different color, and a thick cluster of light,
|, leafy branches, about fifteen feet in length
set out in all directions. The light zephyr
like beeeze causes these lofty branches to
rise and fall in gentle undulations, like an
immense plume of feathers but in times of
high wind the tall trunk sways about, and
bends over as though it would bow to the
earth. Above the crest of waving plumes,
crowning the summit of all, is the cabbage !;
the taste of which closely resembles the com
mon vegetable of the same name, raised in
our gardens. As every one of these wonder
full cabbages obtained destroys the life of the
tree, it has become very rare and costly
dish, prepared only on some grand entertain
ment of the rich and the time is probably
not far distant when this already rare tree
will be unknown among the living existence
of vegetable productions.
Some Of the most remarkable examples of
vegetation found ON the globe are produced
in China. Among these is the talIOw tree
small tree with brilliant red and purple
leaves. When seen from a little distance it
presents strange and beautiful checkeTed
appearance. The blossoms are yellow, and
the little white grains of vegetable tallow,
which are enclosed in husks, are picked out
| and manufactured into candles.
The most universally used wood in China
| is the bamboo. This is an immense reed.
! which enters into all the occupations, trades
and professions of the empire Chairs, ia
bles, bedsteads, and nearly all the articles of
furniture. from that of the humbest fisher
I man to the richest mandarin, are fashioned
from this material and by splitting and
grinding it is worked into ropes, cords, and
twine, and it is even manufactured into sail
cloth and paper. Probably no tree on earth
/ is worked into a greater multiplicity Of uses
than the bamboo and were it not for this
great reed. it would seem that the whole ma
chinery of the Chinese government must
stop
/ The camphOr-tree is one of the largest Of
the Chinese trees. It is found growing more
VI Ito' III scat itIttl UdlClitS dlOl4 Ifle bdDkS
of the river 1t is a gigantic species of Iau-
rel, sometimes attaining a diameter of five
or six feet, and with branches eight or nine
feet in circumference. The spreading top is
/ generally very broad and heavy but few
/ specimens can now be found exceeding fifty
feet in height. The Chinese say it once grew
to a height Of three hundred feet, and with a
/ circumference so great that twenty men with
their arms extended could not reach around
it. The wood is dry, of light color, and is
/ used somewhat In building. The gum is OBJ
tanned by sleeping the branches.
The varnish-tree, from which the beautiful
Japan varnish is made, IS also native of
( China and Japan. It is sIsallsh tree,
/ Slightly resembling the ash in appearance,
with light green, laurel shaped lea s. The
varnsh exudes in 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 oil iDclosing 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 ofl-tree This is a small shrub
/ like tree, often cultivated on the tea planta-
tions. The seeds are said to yield a great
abundance of pure and esculent oil. 1t pro-
duces a profusion of beautiful white bios
/ SONS, and, when in full bloom, an orchard
I of these trees appears like grove covered
I 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
I curious branches, each bearing a 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 a
single point, presents a strange and peculiar
aspect. It's 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
a 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 a grove is soon formed around the
parent stem, and eventually forest, as it
were, arises, all connected, ard formed of
single tree. One of the largest of these Gu
rious trees now standing, is on an island 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, OF cut, when it withers, and soon
4 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 huge
/ specimen of this tree, thirty feet in diameter.
The massive tiupk 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