The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1884-09-11
The Rain Tree.

The attention Of the Hon. J. B. Alb
oott, Minister for Mines, has been drawn
to notice in Land and Water respect
ing tie Rain Tree" which grows IN
South Australia, and, according to this
notice, is 50 remarkable that travellers,
when trdversing an arid and desolate
tract of country. have been struck with
the strange contrast of seeing on one
hand a barren desert and on the other a
rich and luxurious vegetation. The
tree, this notice states, grows to the
height of sixty feet, with diameter of
three feet at its base, and it possesses
the power of attracting. absorbing and
condensing the humidity of the atmos-
phere so strongly that water is always
to lie seen dripping from its trunk in
such quantity as to convert the sur
rounding soil into vegetable marsh.
Mr.. Abbott has called for report on
the subject from the Inspector of For
ests, Mr. j. Duff, who has written the
following:
FOREST CONSERVATORY BRANCH DEPART
MENT OF MINES. SYDNEY, June l3. 1SS4-Sr:
In accordance with your instructions on Mr..
GCdhards memo, numbered as per margin,
have the honor to inform you that have OBJ
tanned the following information respecting
the habitats and uses of the rain tree or guam
go. AlbiZzia saman p. Won Muellerl, or Pithe
cOlabIum sanan of Bentham; Baron Mueller
states in his work on Extra Tropical Plants,
published i'll 1881. that the rain tree or guam
go is a iofSy tree, particularly valuable Tor
wet saline country, and it extends from Mex
leo TO Brazil and Peru. 1t attalns helgnt OF
seventy feet, trunk six feet in diameter, the
colossal branches eXtendig one hundred and
thirty feet, and il is of quick growth, in outline
Il ErNnI tine N
feature in landscape. 1t thriveS in the dry
sat-pOnd districts of the West Indies, and
likes the vicinity of the sea. Rain and dew
fail through its leaves, which are shut up at
night, thus allowing grass to grow under
meath. 1t thriveS best where the rainfall
fuctuates between thirty and sixty inches a
year-One of the best trees in mild chimes Tor
road or shade lines. The wood is hard and Or
namental, but the principal utility OF the tree
lies in its pulpy pods, which are produced IN
great abundance, and constitute very rat
Jenning fodder for all kinds of pastoral ami
mails which eat them with relish Mr.. John
Smith, y. l.. s, EX-Curator OF the Royal 30
tanic Gardens Kew, London in his 'Dlction-
airy of Economical Plants, published IN 49,,
states that the Zamang is the Spanish name
of the tree, and it is native or venezuela
He quotes Humboldts description OF the tree,
which is as follows: We saw i'll the evening
at a league distant an object which appeared
in the horizon like a round hillOck covered
with trees. 1t was neither hill nor group
of trees close to each other, but one single
markable for the enormous extent or It's
branches, which form a hemisphere head nve
hundred and SeventysiX feet in clrcumIer-
ence, the diameter of the stem being nine 1eet
near the ground. 1t belongs TO the mlmOsa
section OF the order of Leguminas;e, and is a
species of the genus Pitheboium tP. Samanl.
Seeds taken from the tree were raised IN
the botanic gardens, Trinidad, III lSSO- IL APP
pears to be fast growing when young, tree
forty years old measuring fifteen feet IN cir
conference near the ground. 1t has thick,
HatiSh, curved pods, about eight inches IN
length and one inch in width, containing
swedish pulp. They are in common use Tor
feeding cattle, and for that purpose the tree
is now cultivated in different countries. IL is
also known as the rain tree. may further
add that Il few years ago number or seedlng
plants of the rain tree were received IN tne
sydney Botanic Gardens from the Botanc
Gardens, Ceylon, on receipt OF which they were
placed in a bush-house. where they grew well
during the summer months; but the whole OF
the plants persisted in the winter, which
would Indicate that the climate of Sydney is
not sufficiently warm for the cultivation of
this tree. The rain tree evidently requires
moist climate near the sea, and it might sue
coed in some of the northern coast districts,
but it is doubtful if it would grow i'll the inte-
rIOr, or in the districts subject to drOughtS
and froSts, the latter being the localities where
such tree would be most required for shade
and stock feed. The statements made by
travellers in South America in Land and Va
ter. attached hereto, that water is constantly
dripping from the trunk of the tree i'll such
quantity as TO convert the soil into Ver1t-
able marsh is, think exaggerated, and re-
CURES further reliable confirmation. Should
steps be taken to ascertain if the rain tree
can be procured in the colonies, and if so, to
procure plants and test its suitability for va
riOus districts of New South Wales: L have
etc. JOHN DUFF.
mfr. Abbott has directed that steps be
taken to procure some of the trees with
q view to their introduction into the
eolony.-Sydaaeg Herald.