Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1891-12-19
QUEER TR EES.
The Bnobab Said to BE the Oldest Or.
ganiu Structure on the Earth.

The BnO Obab Said to BE the Oldest Or.
ganic Structure on the Earth.
The study of vegetable life shows us
many things as strange and as wonder
ful AS the animal kingdom affords, and
"hen it comes to longevity animal life
makes very poor comparative showing.
If we were inclined to travel far enough
we might sit under the shade Of trees
that spread their branches when bttle
Moses slept In his wicker basket among
the bulrushes OF the Nile The glgan.
tic trees of California are very old, but
they are infants compared with some OF
the wonderful! trees of the Old World.
There is an African tree called the bao.
bab, which lives to be thousands of years
old Humboldt calls it the oldest or
sanic monument on ouI planet. One
specimen of II that was carefully exam
ined by an English botanist proved to he
$3.50 years old AT least that was there
suit of the usual tests for determining the
lives of trees This particular tree was
80 feet in diameter. and the spread Of its
branches was enormous
Another wonder of longevity is the SO
called dragons blood tree Of Tenerife.
Resin obtained from this tree has beeu
found in sepuIChers where 1t bad been
used in embalming the dead Trees o!
this species are now standing which are
estimated as being Older than the E9yp'
Lan pyramids
One Of the strangest OF trees is the ]ta
palm. found abundantly on the banks Of
1,l, al, pIp
rivers Ia the swampy regions, which
| cover immense areas the lta palm iur'
nishes food drink clothing and comiort'
able homes for the natives
The Indians that inhabit these swampy
districts make toerable wine from tue
zap of the palm, and they distill stronger
stmulant by crushing and fermentinG
the young fruits The food is derived
from the soft inner bark OF the stems,
md is a substance that, in TASTE and ap-
pearance. closely resembles sago. The soft
and tbrous bark is used for garments and
for making string. ropes, hammocks, and
the like In times of high water, often
lasting TWO or three months, the n",IvcS
make nO0lings in the trees with the bark
ropes and live there III comfort and con-
| tentment
The tree of most varied usefulness il
probably what is commonly called the
Ant=rIcan aloe 1t can hardly be dIgn-
fed 10y the name of tree, and might more
properly be called a plant 1t grows in
South America, and is found all the way
from the plains to elevations 10000 feet
above the sea 1t furnishes thread for
sewing and ropes from which cab,es are
iia'le strong enough to suspend bridge
nore than $50 feet long. Humboldt
mentions one bridge l30 feet long swung
from cables four inches in diameter, that
was made from this palm bark.
Paper and clothing are also made from
The bark, and the leaves are used for
cleansing. securing, and the manufacture
VI razor strops. BY evaporating the
"ater from the thin sap soap is obtained,
as detergent as CASTLE, and will mix
and form lather with salt wateras well
Is with fresh, as a reputable authority
| tells us.
The sap also contains sugar, and this is
used largely in the manufacture of liquor.
1t is sa that very intoxicating brandy
is anothe. product Of the sap, and as tho
natives seem to have rather Intermittent
attacks of sobriety the statement is prob
ably correct.
The bread fruit tree Iourshes in many
Of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean,
and also in some of the islands of thu
East Indies. The bread fruit is COM
3aratively large tree, averaging, perhaps.
-, 10 bn ic
large as child's head. 1t is covered
with thin skin and has a relatively
small core. 1t is snowy white and about
the consiStence of newly baked bread.
In order to prepare it for food it is cut
into large slices and roasted. 1t is said
to be easily digested and very nutritious.
and it certainly forms staple article of
food for thousands of people.
Another wonder of this kind is the COW
tree of South America, which is credited
with yielding a lacteal fluid which, in
color, taste, and nutritive property,
closely resembles the offerings of your
milkman. 1t forms large forests in some
districts of Venezuela and is much priced
for its product.
The tallow tree of China is so called
from the fact that it produces substance
resembling tallow, and which is used for
similar purposes. The fruit is inclosed
within pod. A white pulp is found
within and this substance the Chinese
use in making candles, mixing little oil
with it to make it softera aud more pliablc.
The paper tree of the South Seas is n
species of the mulberry. Its inner bark
is so delicate that soft and pleasant
feeling cloth is made from it, which tho
latives use in making their "best suits.
II is also used in the manufacture of a
Cery fine grade of paper.
The fiction about the deadly Upas tre9
Of Java. which was published in Holland
little more than 100 years ago, and
which was believed for many years, ;las
only this substantial basis: The tree
exudes poisonous juice, which the ma
lives dry and mix with other ingredients
for the tips of their arrows. Futhcr-
more, the Uras tree is found in the low
valleys of Java, where deadly cTiJoni>
Qcid often escapes from crevices i'll vol.
;anic rocks. S.-PhiladeIphia Times.