The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1891-01-03
WONDERFUL TREES.
Two Remarkable Specimens of Plant LILO
Found In Bahia, Bra ILL

Two Remarkable Specimens of Plant Lilo
Found In Bahia. Bra ell.
United States Consul Burke of Bahia,
Brazil, tells of two remarkable trees in
his last report to the United Statcs
Governments They are palms. indigo
nous OF Brazil, and arc thus described By
him: Tho camanba is certainly won
derful treo. Every part Of it-rcot
roolet branch and trunks available;
in fact, it is indispensable for the I.s-
tives in building and roofing ,neir hats,
making fences, etc, while .hs articles
made :rom it supply .Iom with food,
Eight and medicine. It is species Of
palm tree and grows in dry, sandy soil.
The bo.t ithe size depending upon tho
s'aa Of the troe) is strongly farinaceous
and when died and ground pro-
duces q kind of farischa used
for food by tho natives while the
rootlets or the bu'b are used
for medicine. possessing strong cathar-
tic property. The trunk, while the treo
is young, contains SOFT oloaginous
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 thon be used for building
purposes The lower part of the
branches, which grow to length of
eight to ton or twelve feet are chiefly
used for fences. They are wide and fat
ut tho bottom and taperng toward tho
top. with short, hard and very sharp
thorns at tho edges, i'll appearance not
unlike the mouth of saw-fish. Tho
I'D 4.
strong. The least part Of tho branch. when
cut and sun dried, gives an exuda alton,
which appears on the fan-lillc leaf or
blade. 1t i3 4 tenacious substance
possessing properties very similar to
bceswaX. This wax is extensively used
for making candles. The leaf or blado
has fiber from which hats, mats, bas-
keis, rope, brooms, busters, etc, arc
mado. When tho emulation is scraped
from tho blades OF tho palm tho branches
arc used for roofing huts and small
houses and for protecting brick walls
from the fierce rays Of the sun, as well
as from tho rain. Tho fruit OF the tree
is sweet and palatable. Tho kernel or
seed is pounded TO Il powder AMI is used
in infusion in place of coffee.
Another valuable tree, found almost
exclusively in this state OF 3ahin and
IN the northern part OF the state of
Minas Gcracs, which joins this state on
the south, Is tho piassava tree. Like
the camanba, tho Piassava is also a
species of palm treo. From it is OBJ
tanned fiber, and nuts called coquilh os.
Ropes, brooms, brushes Of nearly every
kind and for every purpose, arc manu-
featured from the. fiber OF this tree. 1t
IS, however. nearly NIL shipped to En-
gland, and there manufactured Very
little goes direct TO tho United States.
The natives simply twist tho llbcr and
uso it for rope. Germany takes some
OF tho fiber also. and some of
the other European countries, bu t
England talses moro than half OF all OK
ported. For the year 1855 over %, 600
tons were exported, England taking
about three-fourths thereof The CO.
quilhos, or nuts. are also exported or
manufactured into buttons. knife blades
and trinkets of various kinds. The CO.
quilho is susceptible OF high polish,
and in this particular condition has o
very close resemblance to ivory Pas
sava patches. called compos, are found
80 Wv 'SAJ AOoAo vi WIG virgin lOE09Ci
and arc also scattered through the moro
open woodland and are called pias-
sava do matte and piassa do campo.
Tho most of those trees along the
coast hero have boon cut; therefore
In order to obtain the piassava now
it is necessary to go somo distance
to the interior. Tho government owns
nearly all OF the piassava lands, renting
or giving license to parties wishing to
obtain the fiber, the license extending
from year to year and n half In
stead of stripping tho fiber from the
tree whilo standing, tho tree is cut
down. In this way the land is cleared
and IL along river, jazenda of cocoa
or coffee or sugar could be made very
profitable. tho parties. after the clear
ing. buying tho land from tho govern
mcnt Tho district between tho rivers
Jequitinhonha and Da Selsa is very rich
in fine piassava and tho land, whom
cleared, would be most excellent for
jaZendas.
Tho Wonderful Congo River.
For our knowledge OF tho Dimensions
and navigable lengths Of tho Congo, the
largest and. noxt to tho Milo, tho lonr.