The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-20
SOME VEGETABLE FREAKS
Kept by Uncle Jerry in His Museum
Of the Agricultural De-
partment.
One of Them Has Fits When the
Weather Gets Too Awfully
Hot
The Snake Tree of Guiana, Why So Called
Tho Dumb Cane-Dyeing Fur
nished for Ladies'.

The department. of agriculture has JUS
issued a very curious and interesting list OF
plants useful to man which are contained
in it's collection.
Among the most remarkable Of these il
the lace bark tree of Jamaica. the inner
bark or which ia composed of man layers
of fbers hat interlace it in all directions,
Caps, ruffles. and even complete suits OF
lace are made from it. 1t bears washing
with common soap, n when bleached in
the sun acquires a degree of whiteness
equal to the best artificial lace, with which
this surprising natural product compares
quite favorably as to beauty.
Another curiosity is known in the tropics
as the sand-bark tree and also as the mon
keys dinner bell. 1t has a round, hard
shelled fruit about the size of an orange,
which. when ripe and dry, bursts open with
a sharp noise like the report of a pistol.
It's Juice is poisonous. The South American
trumpet tree might furnish a band with
musical instruments, inasmuoh as its hol-
low branches are utilized for horns and
also for drums.
From Travancore comes a quaint plant
called the "cerberus,' which has a milky,
poisonous Juice. TIL unripe fruit is used
by the natives to destroy dogs, as its action
causes their teeth to loosen and fall out.
n.hc leaves of the so-called American
are also employed for cleaning and
securing pewter. Quite Won
derful tree is the oalabash
of the West Indies, which bears
fruits that resemble pumpkins
and grow to be nearly two feet in diameter.
With the pulps removed they serve various
even as kettles for cooking-having the
great advantage of strength and l%ightness.
Another queer plant in the collection be-
longs to the pea family, and is called the
moving plant" or account of the manner
in which its leaves turn around of their own
accord, or go by jerks, without being
touched or in any way disturbed. Some
times only one or two leaves on a plant
will be affected; at other times they will
all perform Jumps and gyrations simulta-
neously. It is observed that the movements
are most energetic when the thermometer
ington Star. The 'dumb cane" is so called
because it's deshy, cane-like stems render
speeohless any one who may happen to bite
them. An interesting specimen is the pip
pal tree of the Hindoos, which is held in
such veneration that it is considered a crime
" u OA III y 1tS 0AUutbs 1ucI6 i hloO
q toothbrush tree from Jamaica. Tooth
brushes are made from it by cutting pieces
of the stem to convenient lengths and fray
ing out the ends. It also supplies, con-
veniently enough, an excellent tooth-pow-
der, which is prepared by pulverizinR the
dried stems.
The snake tree of Guiana is so called be-
cause the seed is twisted in a name to re-
semble a coi!ed serpent. For this reason
the Indians employ the nuts as an antidote
for snake poison. Another curiosity is the
papyrus of Asia, which yielded the sub
stance used as paper by the ancient Egypt
ians. For this purpose the wood of the
reed stem was cut in thin slices, which were
placed side by side, according to the size of
the sheet required. After being wetted and
beaten with a wooden instrument until
smooth they were pressed and dried in the
sun. A queer plant is a native OF MadaR as
car. Formerly its seeds, which are very
poisonous, were administered to persons
accused of crime. Ii the individual was in
nocent the dose excited vomiting and his
recovery was looked upon as a satisfactory
vindication; but when retained in the stom-
thus established. The vegetable ivory plant
of SoHth America is a well-known commer-
DIAL article. Its seeds at first contain a
clear, lnsipid liquid, which changes by de-
grees until it becomes as hard as ivory, for
which it is used as q substitute.
IiOIu LdsteIu ASH COueS u plHnb the
flowers of which contain a quantity of juice
that rapidly turns black or deep purple. 1t
is used by Chinese ladies for dyeing their
hair and eyebrows and in Java for blacking
shoes: Decidedly remarkable is the cam
phor tree, from which camphor is prepared
by boiling the chopped branches in water.
1t is mainly produced in the island of For
mosa. 1nasmuch as it grows we'll in the
southern states, thore is reason to believe
that the preparation of camphor will some
day become a profitable industry in this
country. The arnotta plant has seeds
coated with a red, waxy pulp, which is
dried and made into cakes. 1t is much en-
ployed by the South American Caribs for
painting their bodies, paint being almost
their only article of clothing. AS a COM
msrcial article it is mainly utilized as a
c~oloring for cheese, butter and inferior
chocolates. From India comes the khus-
khus grass, the fibrous roots of which yield
a very peculiar and pleasing perfume. In
India the leaves are manufactured into
screens for doors and windows, which
when wet diffuses a refreshing scent.
Sunday Excursion Rates.
Tho Montana Captral will coli dur;,. ~.