The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1896-10-13

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80 Uauful snbsEnseas-
One would hardly oxpect 20 hnd
anything like soap growing on =
tree. but there Is such a product IN
tropical Amcrica-the rind Of what
Is called the soap tree fruit. forming /
n strong lather when it Is immersed 1
In wnter.
The substance known as vegetable !
ivory In the product Of q troe that
bears a fruit about the size of .
mans head and weighing about so
pounds, each fruit containing 40
nuts. which are very solid, hard and
white. With such n load 70 carry 10
Is not surprising that the stem Of
the tree, which IL less than n foot In
diameter. may be seen. not only very
much bent from its naturally up
right position. but actually crawling
on the ground.
There are several kinds Of trees
from which our ordinary cork is de-
rived. and by wise provision Of ma
ture, when the outer coating Of the
bark has ripened on these cork trees
it may be removed without injury
to the inner bark, which continues
growing.
Tho bamboo blowpipe. as it Is
generally called, Is a curious tree.
Although IL IL only about IL inches
in diameter IL grows TO a height Of 20
or so feet, and for about i6 feet Il
has no joints. IL Is known as "the
rife Of the Indian" and in his
hands, or rather in his mouth. be-
comes n formidable weapon for
blowing poisoned arrows.
The silk cotton tree grows in the
Bahama islands. where there Is
scarcely any depth of soil. and in or
der TO meet this emergency the roots
extend over n very long stretch Of
ground, showing themselves near the
surface while the slim trunk Is sup
ported by six or eight regularly
formed buttrosses that are large
enough to conceal man from view.
The baobab or monkey bread tree
Is a most extraordinary production
of nature. Imagine tree - feet in
/ diameter at the base and only 20
feet high, with the trunk rapidly di-
minishing toward the top and then
spreading out into what looks like n
/ little forest. In ono Of these old
trees the branches form n spherical
head 100 90 $50 feet in diameter. the
center branch rising 20 "A height Of
90 feet. while others droop ovor tho
main trunk and conceal Il from
view.
Some of these trees have been hol-
lowed out and the space made large
enough TO bold 20or 30 men without
any apparent injury 20 tho tree
The baobab must be one Of the slo-v-
est growing trees in tho world. as it
is supposed TO be ono of the oldest.
A tree has been cultivated In tho
gardens at Kew for more than 10
years. and thus far 10 has attained
height of only AZ feet S0nio Of
these trees are estimated 10 DO 9. 900
years old. and there are dates cut in
the bark that were mado in tho four
teenth century.
There Is n tree called tho ooinchona
tree, from the bark Of which, for
merly known as Peruvian bark, Is
derived the invaluable quinine.
Coca II a native Of South Amer a.
and its leayes have long beon u. e,l
by the people of the region wher' it
grows rs n stimulant and n support.
er of animal strength, enabling mon
TO work hard for days with very lit.
tie food and 70 perform long and
rapid journeys on foot without IA
tigue. More especially in operations
on the eye and in dental surgery the
product Of the plant Is found 20 hs
of great value. as cocaine produces
insensibility to local pain without
affecting the general system like
ether and chloroform.
Then there is the eucalyptus tree.
which has made such malarious re.
! gicns as the PontinemArshes safeand
, Observation-Disclosures Times.