The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-19
WONDERFUL TREES.
MYSTERIOUS ARE SOME or NAT
unG'S WOODEN WORKS.

I <AtA'htNttR 0ta' ~ nIt'i'' VI R"tR'''f -
monkey bread tree. but IL is only in Af-
RIGA, along the Congo river, that the
baobab grows to perfection. Like the
cannibal tree, the baobab grows ali out
Of proportion. It's average height is
about forty feet, but like the Duichman
Of Ponzance it IS "as big north and
south as It is up and down." travellers
reporting specimens Of the tree ninety
feet in circumference. Old baobabs,
with their swinging branches. resemble
q small forest more than they do single
tree. Humboldt considered them "the
oldest living organic mountains on our
planet" setting down the ages Of sew
eral Of those examined by himself at not
less than 5000 years. 4 room large
enough to furnish comfortable accom-
modations for thirty men has been cut
out in the trunk Of a baobab, which CON
tinued to live and flourish.
A tree Of this species planted at Kew
Gardens in England about the beginning
Of the present century has been the
whole Of the eighty odd years attaining
a height Of less than five feet, which
proves to the satisfaction Of any fair
minded man that English soil is not
adapted to the extensive culture Of mon
key bread. The fruit of the baobab tree,
the monkey bread itself, is about The
size and shape Of a common Hubbard
| squash, and is said TO be farinaceous and
very nutritious. Taking its diameter
and circumference into consideration,
and saying nothing about the height,
the baobab may be set down as the larg-
est species OF tree in the world.
Those Of my readers who are ac-
| quaintcd with Southeys works Will re-
member his beautiful description Of the
banyan tree in his poem, 1.-THE Curse Of
Kehama.' For great many years the
banyan tree was described by natural
lists as being a species Of the baobab, but
is now regarded rs a species wholly diff
fcrcnt, and as belonging to the palm
family. If it were not for the promise
made in the opening not to designate
any one of the wonderful trees as the
most wonderful of all trees, the appella-
ton would certainly be applied to the
bauyan, which is not a tree, but n whole
system Of trees 1t seems TO be inclined
TO grow downward instead Of upward,
as the trees do with which we are &C
quainted. 1t is said to seldom spring up
from the soil, but from the heads Of
feather, brush, peacock-taii and other
species Of palm. the seed having been de-
posted there by birds and taken root in
the damp, pulpy crown, so Characteristic
of trees Of the palm family. The banyan,
as limited above, does not seem 30 want
To grow up. but down. As soon rs the
branches begin 10 put forth from the
crown Of the palm in which their germ
has found lodging place, they commence
10 hunt for the ground, each branch TAX
ing root as soon as it touches the damp,
moist soil (t being native Of India, a
fact which have neglected to state).
As these roofing branches BEGIN 10 re-
coive nourishmcnt they grow with
amazing rapidly and send out dozens
and hundred of ether branches, which,
like the parent stem, take root and soon
form Il wilderness; q single banyan tree
On the banks Of the river Krishna being
provided with over 1000 stems, 800 of
them being as large as the common olms
Of the Mississippi valley. At one time
Koian Dor sheltered $500 soldiers and
nearly 3. 900 horses under this tree, which
may be truly called "the giant Of the
forest
The natives Of almost all countries
have their sacred trees; the East Indian
has his banyan, the Congo African his
baobab. fhe South Australian his devil
tree. and tine Ceylonose his DO tree. The
mystic rites performed under the sacred
shadows of the DO, perhaps, exceed in
heathenish solemmty anything known to
the tree worshipers of either of the other
countries named.
The Oldest written description Of the DO
tree Of Ceylon known to exist is that by
.be Chinese historian and traveller, Ia
Han. who visited it in the year 4l4 4.
d. According to the learned Chinaman
il was at that time 702 years old, having
been planted by King Devnipiatissa IN
the year 2s8, before our ezra.
I'm October. 1881, after having been
daily. one might say, almost hourly,
worshiped for 2,l75 years, the sacred
bo met with a great calamity. For
months the island of Ceylon had been
marched wild drought. They had as
sembled hv wos, tens, dozens and hun
dred- un ior its branches to pray for
rain. bu. al to no purpose. In dire eX-
tremity representatives, from all parts OF
the island gathered 10 the number of
many thousands and prayed to the tree
for inst one refreshing shower before
their witrcrcd bodies SHOULD perish for
want of water. Hardly had the lamen
tation. extended throughout the length
and breadth of the assem- blage ere omi-
ooa,s clouds began togather and the fork
"a LIGHTNING 10 fit IN all faptastic freaks
IMAGINABLE. The thunder rolled, the
winds roared and tie waite, poured. For
three whole days and nights the island
was overwhelmed with water spouts
aud cyclones. Hundreds of blind dOyO-
toes chung around the sacred tree and
,,ere killed or drowned during the com
motion. i OF llifN- iAitAtAf NNtN''-"
vyos but little mourning. however. Onthe
morning of Oct. there was great grief
,br,uehout the land, the sacred tree.
,,b;, IA had withstood the cyclones which
had rolled over the islaih every year for
,,centy one centuries, having succumbed
>, this the giant Of tlaen all After a
seos.u of mourning, which was partici-
nated in by the entire population, the
'res was cm into the lengths of human
BENZ. wrap ned in WI lite cloth and
cS.D,sted viii as much formality and
',n.nn ms thoash each sec ion had have
Nm a member Of the roy al family. 80
pcfished the DO tree. one oi the nlVs'
p,rnJer,uj nat. iI-,l growths in the world
Iohn ". WRIGHT in st. Louis Republic,
NIatchless
Iillie-How did you Like the story'
DIlie-It's mat, ,hless.