Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1891-11-12
SOME WONDERFUL TREES
INTERESTING TALK ABOUT
PECULIAR SPECIMENS.
4 Tree ths. Lives to He Thousands of
Ycxrs Oid-A Palm Furnishes
Fool, Drink, Ciothlng and
Comfortable Homes.

us many things as strange and as won-
derful rs the animal kingdom affords;
and when it comes to longevity. ami
NAL life makes q very poor compare
tive showing. II we were inclined to
travel fur enough we might sit under
the shade of trees that spread their
branches when little Moses slept in
his wicker basket among the bull
rushes OF the Nile. The gigantic
trees Of California are very old. says
the Philadelphia Times; but they are
infants compared with some of the
wonderful trees Of the world.
There is an African tree called the
baobab. which lives to be thousands
Of years old. Humboldt called it 1.-The
oldest organic monument on our plan
ct" One specimen of it that was
carefully examined by an English bot
anist proved to be 5. $50 years old.
At least that was the result of the u.s.
ual tests for determining the lives OF
trees. This particular tree was thirty
feet in diameter and the spread of its
branches was enormous.
Another wonder OF longevity is the
so-called dragons blood tree OF Tene-
rife. Resin obtained from thrs tree
has been found in sepulchres. where
it had been used for embalming the
dead. Trees Of this species are now
standing which are estimated as being
older than the Egyptian pyramids.
One OF the strangest Of trees is the
TIA palm. found abundantly on the
banks OF the Amazon and other South
American rivers. In the swampy
regions which cover immense areas.
the TIA palm furnishes food. dri1lk.
clothing and comfortable homes For
the natives.
The Indians that inhabit these
swampy districts make a tolerable
wine from the sap OF the palm. and
they distill n stronger stimulant by
crushing and fermenting the young
fruits. The food is derived from the
soft inner bark of the stems. and is 4
substance that in taste and appear
ance. closely resembles sage. The
soft and fbrous bark Is used for gar
snents and for making strings. ropes
hammocks and the like. In times of
high water. often lasting two or three
months the natives make hOOrings ir
the trees with the bark ropes and live
there in comfort and contentment.
The tree OF most varied usefulness
10 probably what il commonly called
the American aloe. 1t can hardly be
dignified by the name OF tree and
might more properly be called plant.
1t grows in South America, and is
found all the way from the plains to
elevations ten thousand feet above the
sea. 1t furnishes thread for sewing
and ropes from which cables are
made strong enough to suspend a bridge
moro than hundred feet long. Hum
b0ldt mentions one bridge 1870 feet
long, swung from cables four inches
In diameter, that were 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 OF razor stropa. By
ovaporating the water from the thin
sap s0ap 10 obtained. las detergent as
CASTLE. and will mix and form u lather
with salt water as we'll as with fresh, y
rs reputable authority tells lis.
The sap also contains sugar. and
this is used largely in the manufact-
ure OF liquor. 1t is said that a very
Intoxicating brandy is another pro-
duct OF the sap. and as the natives
seem to have rather intermittent
attacks OF sobriety the statement is
probe bly, correct
The bread-fruit tree hourishcs in
many OF the Islands of the South
Pacific ocean and also in some OF the
islands OF the East Indies. It is a
comparatively large tree. averaging
perhapA one foot in diameter. The
fruit 10 "a large as q child's head. 1t
A. covered with thin skin and has
relatively small core. It Is snowy
white and about the consistency OF
newly baked bread. In order to pre-
pare it for food il is cut into large
slices and roasted. It 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 il tho
COW tree OF South America. which is
credited with yielding u tactical fluid
which in color. taste and nrtritive
property closely resembles the OFFER
ings Of your milk man. It forms large
forests in some districts Of Venezuela.
and is much priced for its product
Tho tallow tree of China is so called
from the fact that il produces sub
stance resembling tallow. and which
Is used for similar purposes. The
fruit is enclosed within IL pod. A
white pulp is found within. and this
substance the Chinese use in making
candies mixing little oil with it to
make it softer and more pliable.
The paper tree Of the South Seas is
a species OF the mulberry. Its inner
bark is 70 delicate that soft and
pleasantfeeling cloth is made from it.
which the, natives use in making their
-'best suits" 1t is also used in the
manufacture of very fine grade OF
paper.
The fiction about the deadly Upas
tree Of Java which was published in
Holland q little more than a hundred