The American Negro., 1890-10-25
WONDERFUL TREES.
1Wo Remarkable Specimens of Plant Life
Found in Bahia, Bra zil.

a.
Brazil, tells Of two remarkable trees in
his last report to the United States
Government. They are palms, indigo
nous of Brazil, and are thus described by
him: 1.-THE camanba is certainly a won
derful tree. Every part of it-root,
roolet, branch and trunks available;
IN fact, it is indispensable for the ma
tives in building and roofing their huts,
making fences, ETC., while the articles
made from it supply them with food,
light and medicine 1t is species of
palm tree and grows in dry, sandy soil.
The bulb (the size depending upon the
size of the tree) is strongly farinaceous
and when died and ground pro-
duces kind of farischa used
for food by the natives while the
rootlets or the bulb are used
for medicine, possessing strong cathar
tic property. The trunk, while the tree
is young, contains a SOFT oleaginous
substance, something like marrow. This
IS good food for cattle, Sheep goats and
hogs. After the tree attains a growth
of several years the trunk becomes very
hard, and can then be used for building
purposes. The lower part of the
branches, which grow to length of
eight to ten or twelve feet, are chiefly
used for fences. They are wide and fiat
at the bottom and tapering toward the
top, with short, hard and very sharp
thorns at the edges, III appearance not
unlike the mouth Of saw-fish. The
fence made from this material is very
strong. The least part of the branch, when
cut and sun dried, gives an emulation,
which appears on the fan-like leaf or
blade. 1t is tenacious substance
possessing properties very similar to
beesWax. This wax is extensively used
for making candles. The leaf or blade
has fiber from which hats, mats, bas-
kets, rope, brooms, busters, ETC., are
made. When the exudation is scraped
from the blades Of the palm che branches
are used for roofing huts and small
houses and for protecting brick walls
from the fierce rays of the sun, as we'll
as from the rain. The fruit of the tree
is sweet and palatable. The kernel or
seed is pounded to powder and is used
in infusion in place of coffee.
Another valuable tree, found almost
exclusively in this state Of Bahia and
in the northern part Of the state Of
Minas Geraes which joins this state or
the SOUTH is the piassava tree. Like
the camanba, the piassava is also a
species CT palm tree From it is oh.
tanned a fiber, and nuts called coquilhos.
Ropes, brooms, brushes of nearly every
kind and for every purpose, are manu-
featured from the fiber of this tree. 1t
is, however, nearly all shipped to En-.
gland, and there manufactured. Very
little goes direct to the United STATES.
The natives simply twist the fiber and
use it for rope. Germany takes some
of the fiber also and some OF
the other European countries, but
England takes more than half Of all ex'
ported. For the year 1888 over 25, 600
tons were exported, England taking
about three-fourths thereof. The CO
ouilhos. or nuts are also exported or
manufactured into buttons, knife blades
and trinkets of various kinds. The Co
<nuilho is susceptible of high polish,
and in this particular condition has
very close resem blance to ivory. Plas-
saya patches, called compos, are found
in the very heart of the virgin forests
and are also scattered through the more
open woodland and are called plas"
saya do matto and piassa do campo.
The most Of these trees along the
coast here have been cut; therefore
in order to obtain the piassava now
it is necessary to go some distance
J 20 the interior. Tho government owns
nearly all Of the piassava lands renting
or giving a license to parties wishing to
obtain the fiber, the license extending
from year to year and half In
stead of stripping the fiber from the
tree while standing, the tree is cut
down. In this way the land is cleared
and if along river, jazenda OF cocoa
or coffee or sugar could be made very
profitable, the parties, after the clear
inr buying the land from the govern