The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1895-06-12
HARDY TREES.
THEY SURVIVE HACKING, BURN
ING AND UPROOTING.
The Nullah Tree an Example-Wheu'
Uprooted It GrowsIMore Roots
Elsewhere-Other Vege-
table Wonders.

~ ONE trees and plants it is exc
~ ceedingly difficult to kill An
y example is a tree found in
South Africa called the baobah
tree, that is most useful to the natives
No matter what sort OF treatment it
receives it never seems to be the worse
for it. g.. r.. -
The natives make strong cord that
lasts for years out of the abres COM
tained in the pounded bark, and for
this purpose the whole of the trunk, as
far as they can possibly reach it, is
barked, course of treatment which II
applied to any other tree would un-
doubtedly ruin if not kill it. The only
effect, however, upon the e1traordi-
nary baobab tree is to make it throw,
out new bark, apparently as capable
of answering the natives purposes as
the old one.
No external injury, not even fire.
appears to be able to injure this tough
tree to any extent. If an axe be
driven in with hard blow, it can only
with great difficulty be extracted, on
account of the soft, spongy wood clos
ing upon it. Neither can any injury
be done to the tree from within, and
even cutting it down does not exter-
inmate it; it continues to grow after
it is lying on the ground. ~.
The nullah tree Of the East Indies is
also almost impossible to kill. It can
be cut and hacked in any shape, and
although uprooted and allowed to lie
on the sandy plains for months an up
right branch or new trunk will grow.
At Umballa, Bengal, India, there is
large tree that has hadan experience.
It is situated on The camping-ground
used for regiments passing through
Umbslla, or for the infantry regi-
ments which come down from the hill
stations in winter for drill on the
plains. The canteen tent is pitched
near it, and the soldiers derive 9 great
benefit from this curious tree as the
PROSTATE portion answers the pur.
pose of two long seats and the upright
part serves as shade from the hot
sun.
Another strange plant, belonging
somewhat to this species, is the devil
plant, found near the Lake Of Nicsra-
qua. It is of such deadly nature
that it destroys all insects and vege.
table life in it's vicinity. Nothing
seems to be able to kill it, and though
it has been burned down several times,
it springs up again in vigorous life,
without any loss of vitality.
In Jamaica there is to be found the
life-plant, also almost impossible 10
kill. The writer knows it to be q fact
that when leaf is cut, off and hung
up by q string to dry or wither, il
sends out white threadlike roots,
gathers moisture from the air, and be-
gins to grow new leaves. And still
further, when it is pressed and packed
away in botanis&'s herbarium it has
really been known to outgrow the
leaves of the book in which it was
placed. The only way known to kill
it is by applyings red.hot IRON to it,
OF by stepping it in boiling water.
These few examples give some idea
of the Extraordinary creations Of the
vegetable world, many of which must
appear incredible to the unscientifc.
They do not realize that there is an
infinitely greater variety of species IN
the vegetable world than in that part
of the animal world visible to theu
eyes.-New York World.