The Washington bee., 1891-11-14

The Bsobsb Said to Be the Oldest Orr
Ganie Structure on the Earth.


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 little
Moses slept 10 his wicker basket among
the bulrushes OF the Nile The gigan.
TIC trees of California are very old, but
they are infants compared with some Of
the wonderful: trees Of the Old World.
There is al African tree called the bao
bah, which lives to be thousands Of years
old HUMBOLDT calls it the oldest or.
ganic monument on our planet. One
specimen Of =, that was carefully exam
ined by an English botanist proved TO be
! 5. 100 years old At least that was the re-
sult of the usual tests for determining the
lives of trees This particular tree was
80 feet 10 diameter and the spread Of its
| branches was enormous
Another wonder of longevity is the &c
| called dragons blood tree OF TenerIffe.
| Resin obtained from this tree has been
found in sepulchers where 1t had been
used 10 embalming the dead. Trees OF
this species are now standing which are
estimated as being Older than the Egyp,
Eian pyramids
One OF the strangest of trees is the tia
palm. found sbundantly on the banks OF
the Amazon and other South American
rivers. 10 the swampy regions, which
cover immense areas. the Ita palm fur
nishes food, drink clothing, and comfort
able homes for the natives
The Indians that inhabIt these swampy
districts make tolerable wine from tue
sap of tho palm, and they distilI stronger
stimulant by crushing and fermenting
the young fruits The food is derived
from the soft inner bark Of the stems,
and is a substance that, in taste and APP
pearance, closely resembles sage, The soft
and jbrOus 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 natives
make fioorlugs in the trees with the bark
ropes and live there in comfort and con-
tentment
The tree Of most varied usefulness is
probably what is commonly called the
American aloe. 1t can hardly be dignl-
fed by the name Of tree, and might more
properly he called 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 cables are
made strong enough to suspend a bridge
more than 100 feet long. Humboldt
mentions one bridge 100 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
of razor strops. By evaporating the
water from the thin sap soap is obtained,
las detergent as CASTLE, and will mix
and form a Iather with salt wateras well
as with fresh, g." as reputable authority
tells us.
The sap also contains sugar, and this is
used largely in the manufacture of liquor.
1t is said that very intoxicating brandy
is another product of the sap and as the
natives seem to have rather intermittent
attacks of sobriety the statement is prob
ably correct.
The bread fruit tree f]ourishes in many
of the islands of the South Pacific Ocean,
and also in some of the islands of the
East Indies. The bread fruit is COM
paratively large tree, averaging, perhaps,
one foot in diameter. The fruit is as
large as a child's head. It 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 tactical 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 a little oil
with it to make it softer and more pliable.
The paper tree of the South Seas is a
species of the mulberry. It's inner bark
is so delicate that a soft and pleasant
feeling cloth is made from it, which the
natives use in making their best suits"
Il 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 100 years ago, and
which was believed for many years, has
only this substantial basis: The tree
exudes poisonous juice, which the ma
tives dry and mix with other ingredients
for the tips of their arrows. Futher-
more, the Upas tree is found in the low
valleys of Java, where deadly carbonic
acid often escapes from crevices in vol
;anic rocks.-PhiladeIphia Times.
Wonderful Underground Lake.
An underground lake has been discov-