San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1890-02-06
WONDERFUL TREES.
MYSTERIOUS ARE SOME OF NAT
uRE'S WOODEN WORKS.

A "Giant OF the Forest" That Sheltered
oS.ooo Soldiers Tho Great Calamity
which Overlook tho Sacred 10 OF Ceyion.
Australia has species of baobab, or
monkey bread tree, but il is only in AZ.
rica, along the Congo river, that the
baobab grows to perfection. Like the
cannibal tree, the baobab grows all out
of proportion. Its average height Is
about forty feet, but like the Dutchman
OF Penzance it is "as big north and
south as II is up and down." travellers
reporting specimens Of the tree ninety
feet i'm circumference. Old baobabs,
with their swinging branches, resemble
a 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. A room large
enough to furnish comfortable accom-
modations for thirty men has been cut
out in the trunk Of 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
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 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 &c.
quainted with Southey's works will re-
member his beautiful description Of the
banyan tree in his poem, "The Curse of
Kehama." For q great many years the
banyan tree was described by natural
lists as being species of the baobab, but
is now regarded as species wholly diff
ferent, and rs 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-
tion would certainly be applied to the
banyan, which is not tree, but whole
system Of trees. 1t seems to be inclined
to grow downward instead of upward,
as the trees do with which we are ac-
quainted. 1t is said to seldom spring up
from the soil, but from the heads of
feather, brush, peacock-tail and other
species of palm, the seed having been de-
posted there by birds and taken root in
the damp, pulpy crown, 80 characteristic
of trees of the palm family. The banyan,
as limited above, does not seem to want |
to grow up, but down. AS soon as the
branches begin to put forth from the
crown Of the palm in which their germ
has found lodging place, they commence
to hunt for the ground, each branch TAX
ing root as soon as it touches the damp,
moist soil Gt being native of India, a
fact which have neglected to state).
AS these roofing branches begin to re-
ceive nourishment they grow with
rapidity and send out dozens
and hundreds of other branches, which,
like the parent stem, take root and soon
form wilderness; single banyan tree
OH the banks of the river Krishna being
provided with over 1000 stems, 800 Of
them being as large as the common elms
Of the Mississippi valley. At one time
Koian Dor sheltered $500 soldiers and
nearly 3 200 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
mas his banyan, the Congo African his
oaobab, the South Australian his devil
rec, and the Ceylonese his DO tree. The
mystic rites performed under the sacred
ihadows of the bo, perhaps, exceed in
ieathenish solemnity anything known to
he tree worshipers Of either Of the other
named.
The oldest written description of the bo
rec of Ceylon known to exist is that by
he Chinese historian and traveller, Fa
Iian, who visited it in the year Ala A.
}. According to the learned Chinaman
t was at that time 702 years old, having
'een planted by King Devinipiatissa in
he year 288, before our era.
In October, 1887, after having been
ally, one might say, almost hourly,
vorshiped for 2,175 years, the sacred
70 met with a great calamity. For
months the island of Ceylon had been
arched with drought. They had as
embed by twos, tens, dozens and hun
reds under its branches to pray for
ain. but all 10 no purpose. In dire ex- !
remity representatives from all parts Of
he island gathered to the number Of |
lany thousands and prayed 10 the tree !,
DR. Just one refreshing shower before !;
leir withered bodies should perish for I,
'ant Of water. Hardly had the lamen 4
ltions extended throughout the length .
nd breadth Of the assemblage ere Omi- N
Gus clouds began togather and the fork =
! lightning TO fit in all fantastic freaks r
Imaginable. The thunder rolled. the n
.inds reared and the water poured. For :.
irce whole days and nights the island \
as overwhelmed with water spOuts :
nd cyclones. Hundreds Of blind dovo- :,
.es clung around the sacred tree and
ere killed OF drowned during the COM n
.Oiion. For these many deaths there \
- but little mourning. however. Onthe =,
Oruing - Oct. there was great grief 4
.roughoui the land, the sacred tree, m
hich had witbstOod the cyclones which c.
81 r0iicd over the island every year for
7euty-one centuries. having succumbed
tiiis the giant q them all After N
as0n q mourning. which was partioi- O.
ted in By the entire population tie o.
o. was cut INTO the lcngths of human v
60. --rrrraI in uhit- clofh and q