Weekly commercial herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1884-18??, 1886-01-01
ouaIogg AN1 MIIl..IMa E0HN.
10 Be Found IN rho Vses,aais kingdom
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10 BE Found On thg Fsestaais kingdom
-PsouIiar Characteristic
The vegetable kingdom s. fun 81 unique
forms, many Of which, TO the common
reader, are almost, II not entirely NM
known. Some Of these, from their form.
habits OF productions, are quite curious
and interesting. The gourd tribe fur
lishes some interesting species. One Of
hese. the Cucurbita claviformis, grows
d the vicinity Of Constantinople, and Is
believed by the people Of that country to
be the real Jonah's gourd- It forms an
almost impermeable shade, under which
the Orientals delight to SIT and smoke.
The curious fruit hang down in long, DELI
cate clubs, somewhat resembling Large,
over-grown candles. This fruit Is
prepared for food by scooping out the
central portion and filing it with force
meat. It IS then boiled, when It forms q
very palatable dish.
Another member Of this family Is the
squirting cucumber, Momordica Elate-
rum, which is remarkable for the stranga
property 1t has when ripe Of throwing It's
seed contents to a considerable distance
on being touched or shaken. AS the
fruit approaches maturity there Is an ac-
emulation Of fluid In it till 1t can contain
no more, when upon the least touch or
jar, the substance about the stem gives
away, and the contents are thrown out
with force sufficient to carry them several
yards, and a report, as Of o popgun, that
may be heard at a considerable distance.
Persons passing neal them often find
themselves despatched from head to foot
by the pulpy contents Of these vegetable
popguns.
CANDLE TREE AND RAIN TREE.
In the valley Of the Chagres there grow
whole forests Of the candle tree. From
the stems and branches Of these depend
the long, cylindrical fruits Of yellow wax
color that so much resemble huge candles
as to have suggested the popular name.
The fruit is from two to three feet long
an inch in diameter. The trees grow to
the height of twenty-four feet, and blooms
all the year round, though most abund
antly during the rainy season, but the
principal harvest Of the fruit is during the
long, dry season. The fruit serves as food
for cattle, which, when fed on it and some
Of the native plants, soon grow quite fat.
The meat of the cattle fed on fruit has q
peculiar though not disagreeble apple-like
odor.
Al tree known as the rain tree, PithecOl-
lobium Samon, is found in the drier parts
Of South America. This tree grows to the
height of sixty feet, and its leaves have
the peculiar propriety Of condensing the
moisture from the atmosphere. So copi-
GUS is this condensation that a continual
shower falls from the leaves and branches
until the surrounding soil is converted
into a veritable marsh. Places that would
otherwise be barren desert are by this
means covered with the most luxuriant
forests. 1t is said that the British govern
ment is introducing this tree into India to
counterfeit the aridity Of portions Of that
country.
VERY UNPLEASANT NEIGHBOR.
Queensland furnishes a shrub that
would certainly make a very unpleasant
neighbor. 1t is the singing tree, a very
luxurious, pleasing-looking shrub, vary
ing in height from two or three inches to
ten o. fifteen feet. Though pleasing to
the eye, it is. dangerous to the touch, as
the pain it produces is maddening. No
mark is left but for months the place is
tender to the touch in rainy weather, or
when wet by washing, or other means. 1t
exhales a peculiar, disagreeable odor
, that gives notice Of its proximity, and
enables the experienced and cautious to
|, avoid contact with it. So excruciating
I is the pain caused by contact with this
plant that a man of ordinary fortitude
when stung viii roll on the ground in un
comfortable agony. A horse will, after
passing through a grove of trees, rush
with open mouth at any one who dares
approach him. A dog under such circum-
stances will rush around, whining in o
piteous manner, biting and tearing the
flesh from the parts affected by the sting.
A bush, the fruit of which is called
SOAP berry" is found in great abundance
throughout Alaska. The fruit, when
ripe, is a small red berry Of a juicy and
quinine taste, and is generally biennial If
a quart of these berries be placed in a tub
capable of holding a bushel, and well
stirred, they will form a suds or froth that
will completely fill the tub. The more it
is stirred with the hand the thicker it be-
Genes, till it can be cut with a knife. "A
whole family of natives will gather
around the tub and eat this frothy sub
stance with horn or wooden spoons. The
taste for it is doubtless an acquired one, but
the article is quite popular. The red color
of the berries gives a beautiful pink color
to the froth.-L ]. Templin in Gardeners
Magazine.
Can n. II. RutIer's Tanhster pie.