The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-10-11
A VEGETABLE OGRE.
The wnd Fig KILLS the Tree That Civ
II Shelter.

The wnd Fig KILLS the Tree That oivs'
IL Shelter.
But of al the vegetable inha bItanta
Of the tropical woods the strongest b
that one whose seed, IL Is said, Will die
II II falls upon the ground, and which
only grows when il finds a resting place
on the rock or a fence. or on another
trce, where there Is not particle OF
earth or moisture; and IN all the Wesa
India forest this tree is the greatest
criminal. II has long and beautiful
Latin name, which, IL might be sup
posed, would have some subduing in
fuence upon IL, but ir docs not sren -.
This plant is the wild ng.
Let Us Imagine that soms hungry
bird, taking in it's bt.ek one Of tfsoR
figs, flies TO a neighborine tree. and
alighting On lofty branch, ests the
fruit. One seed Is left. T'hr sun IL
warm and the air moist, and after
awhile the tiny germ begins 20 sprout,
and the minute leaves, breaking their
thin shell, shoot upwarSf-tendcr littls
innocent, putting mp it, slender arms
in a "pleasc-heIp-me" sort OF way;
while its spider-li<e legs are reaching
put 20 get tirm hold on it's aerial homo.
The little plant seems so harmless, and
the hospitabls forest gian, cannot
know 70 what robber and monster 10
mas Erren resting place. After awhile
the fig sends up . stem, and It's root,
peeping over tho edge of the lofty
branch, finds the ground 80 or 700 feet
below. But nature has endowed thii
sprig with a daring, and. nothing
eaunted, the slender thread lenpe 5nte
the air. and, FEEDING upon the moisture
with which the hot atmosphere Ia laden
IL drops slowly and boldly tp The ground
and here takes root ~ Che plant
grows, 70 iets fan Other long feetirrs
one by orr. " hich descepd TO ths earth
Some OF thr tcartacIee have by thb
time found that the tree itself affords
IN easy descent, and onc day . rca
starts along the branch. and. reachirA
the trunk. trips tigsssly down Its sprd
stairs. and ths1s reaches flre >oiL OthArN
finding ffiis lvay 80 Easy. follow, and 20
the roots increase 1. number and siza
nouriShin2 their master above. II haz
row grown IN strength and vigor. and
wrapping themselves around the trunh
OF The t-,,e thxt supports them the rvsots
strain and press upon IL cruelty. II y
struggle for life, but their forest ho<i
u doomed. Slowly ard surely tfxy en-.
v-iOp IL. The embrace Of the fg IL
dsafh. At bsrt the srrest tsr~ diea, and
Iittle by little. rot.ing branch BY branch
r fslis On pieces, and It's plsrs m takers
Nv tiSe orrre that has -tranFg~ss ~.
The fig tres shown m The ilicserssps
ars not FAR from Sortbege Point. on
the coast Of .hs bearstlfuI isiap6 OF
Jamaica. The trunk Of the laresr Is
shout - feet in circumstances. IL -
composed Of Tnsss Of rrsw- crssursn~,
twisted and strained together like tan.
gied ard kuo.ted cables 81 eroruoos
size Some of th~rn. ~ aud IL fnchss
thross-a. are separated from ne main
trunk. Apparently a rock formed the
'ound<fion for this crest ire. The
other has Displaced what vrs os1ee
tree atsou. soy. IA Siarr~tsv. which cz-
s;iIl - s~en IN the rlids' Of ths tx.s.<d
strands 81 The Bg which rake ap q
trunk 'hr-e feet in thieknesA. Tvs root
sprsri over the gro1nd Ike % r-.sny
big srslss.
The Wild fr belongs N sfse zerne IAN.
~ 81 81. bsnysr. u - fonra IA tn
Fart srsd Vest Indies and IN Australia
snd tas The zane destructive habs.s
eTeryv bers- Sorn~tfrfs~s n rrows 20
al innTz<--e ssz~- The vas<1 N soft.
ard ~. natives rnats bo~ts. t<syr arS
Epcons 90 g. The fruit is sssus -
large a. Fl apricot Erx'ses p. Eo2rrs,
IN s.: Siehelsa