Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-13


Is literally mine of curiosities ethno-
logical. What will be thought of a plant
on which grow toy tops, which the chill
dren spin? But that is not very surprising
in a country where most of the common
household utensils and even the medicine
bottles of the apothecary are produced by
nature on trees and vines.
Among other things DIR. Palmer has sue
ceeded in solving the mystery of the origin
Of the jumping bean. This peculiar vege-
table product has been on the market now
for some time, but nobody has been able to
find out where 1t came from. The beans
are infested by the larvae of species of
moth related to the common apple worm,
and their movements are caused by the an
sects they contain. Up to date a man in
Mexico has had a corner on these beans,
being alone acquainted with the source of
supply. They have been selling al 20 cents
apiece in northern and eastern cities,
while they have fetched only that much
per quart in San Antonio. Tex. But the
secret is out, for DR.. Palmer has discovered
the plants that produce the BEANS. which
grow on shrubs of an euphorbaceous spe-
cies, most of them being infested in the
manner described. He has obtained speci-
mems of the flowers, leaves and fruit.
Living ants nests were among the
strange things discovered by DIR. Palmer.
There was a kind of tree that seemed quite
every joint in 1t was followed out and
occupied by large black ants. 1t was
with every tree of this species that was
met witf-not a single joint but had. its
colony of ants. These ants are extremely
fierce and will swarm out to attack anybody
who attempts to climb the tree Consequent
ly the natives are careful to keep at a re-
spectful distance. Ants of a closely allied
tribe were located by the explorer in sit
uation yet more remarkable They make
their homes in the great thorns of a sort
of acacia. These thorns are arranged along
the branches by twoS, each pair resembling
two horns and constituting nest. The
single entrance to each nest is always a
little round hole near the extremity of the
left horn.
Used for Playthings.
Many of the plants collected by Dr.
Palmer are of species hitherto unfamiliar
to botanists. One of these bears a fruit
like a plum, the pulp of which is eaten.
This fruit is known as the "trompo." The
seed is precisely the shape of a toy top.
In that region one frequently sees groups
of three or four boys playing games with
these tops, which they spin with their
fingers Ike teetotums. There is a big tree
of the bean family which produces long
fiat pods three feet in length. and these
are used by the children as toy swords. A
gigantic climbing bean, which might have
served Jack of the nursery tale for lad
der, furnishes the people with substitute
bundles. and the housewife puts it to soak
in water prelimnarly to washing the
clothes. 1t makes a good lather.
Much more important from the economi-
cal point of view is another tree belonging
to the bean family, which bears so-called
''ear-pods." The pods. which have a fan
cied resemblance to human ears, contain
seeds that are very nutritious. During the
dry season, from October to June, when
corn is apt to be scarce, they serve as a
staple diet The seeds of this valuable
plant are now being distributed in small
quantities by the Department of Agricul-
ture for planting in this country. Hither-
to they have not been obtainable, and the
present supply Is limited to the few quarts
which DIR. Palmer collected He got also
some seeds of morning glory tree, which
is likely to secure an Introduction in the
United States as an ornamental plant. 1t
Is closely related to the familiar morning
glory vine. but is a large tree, attaining a
height of thirty feet or more. At bloom
Ing time 1t is covered with huge snow
white blossoms, no leaves appearing until
the seeds that follow the flowers have
ripened
Household Utensils.
Utensils of another sort such as dishes,
grow on trees that are related to our own
catalpas. They are the seed pods and are
called "calabashes" The trees are known
as 'jicaras,' and have reddish flowers.
The calabashes are put to every magma
BILE use, serving among other things as
market measures. Ore species of "jicara''
furnishes excellent medicine bottles, which
are somewhat the shape of whisky TASKS,
each one having a natural nozzle for a
cork. These bottles are sometimes orna-
mented with fantastic carvings in rude
designs; they are very solid and almost
impossible to break
The people of the territory described
make an intoxicating drink from the cocoa
nut tree. They cut off the flower spikes
and hang beneath them by strings empty
cocoanut shells. The sap drops into the
shells and is carried to market. When
fresh it is mild and agreeable beverage,
but it quickly begins to ferment, and after
few hours it is so stimulating that the
natives frequently get drunk on it. The
plucked when only half ripe, and. the top
being cut off with machete, the milk. as
clear and transparent as water, Is drunk.
At the bottom of each green nut is jelly
like substance that is the beginning of
the meat, and this is eaten with piece of
the outer hull for a spoon.
DR.. Palmer obtained number of pods
from the cotton tree. This tree produces
immense quantities of a soft and downy
fiber that is very much like ordinary cot
ton. In season the branches are fairly
covered with the pods. which are three or
four inches long and filed with white fluff
The latter Is used for stuffing pillows and
cushions; its staple is too short and brittle
for weaving. An odd fruit of that region
is the mamma apple which looks some
what like an oval cocoanut with thin
shell. It has an agreeably favored pulp.
resembling that of the banana, and each
apple" contains a very peculiar seed,
about two inches long. that looks like a
fish. An interesting tree, Of which the
fruit was collected, is the skunk tree"
Its flowers smell worse than skunk. and,
not unnaturally, people carefully avoid it.
Some Curious Uses.
In the United States pumpkin seeds are
good for rothing, except for planting: but
in southern Mexico they are ground up
for soups and gravies and for stuffing
turkeys and chickens. The seeds of little
wild gourds are pounded and mixed with
sugar and water for a summer drink.
Another cooling drink acid and pleasant
to the taste. is made from parts of the
flowers of the hibiscus, a species of mail
low. This latter is favorite beverage for
the sick. Wrapping-paper is practically
unknown in that country, ard corn husks
iattened out into small sheets are en-
rloyed as a substitute. Tamarinds and a
taste of ground cocoanut meat are done up
in pieces of corn husks for sale, while
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