Griggs courier., 1896-10-30
A VEGETABLE OGRE.
The Wnd Fig Kills the Tree That Gives
1t Shelter.


tree, where there is not particle Of
earth or moisture; and in all the West
India forest this tree is the greatest
criminal. It has long and beautiful
Latin name, which, it might be sup
posed, would have some subduing in
fuence upon it, but it does not seem to.
This plant is the wild fig.
Let US imagine that some hungry
bird, taking in its beak one of these
figs, flies to neighboring tree, and,
alighting ON a lofty branch, eats the
fruit. One seed is left. The sun in
warm and the air moist, and after
awhile the tiny germ begins to sprout,
and the minute leaves, breaking their
thin shell, shoot upward-tender little
innocent, putting up its slender arms
in a "pleasc-help-me" sort of way;
while it's spider-like legs are reaching
out to get firm hold on it's aerial home.
The little plant seems 30 harmless, and
the hospitable forest giant cannot
know to what robber and monster it
has given a resting place. After awhile
the fig sends up stem, and its root,
peeping over the edge Of the lofty
branch, finds the ground so or 100 feet
below. But nature has endowed this
sprig with daring, and, nothing
daunted, the slender thread leaps into
the air, and, feeding upon the moisture
with which the hot atmosphere is laden-
1t drops slowly and boldly to the ground
and here takes root. AS tie plant
grows, it lets fall other long feeders,
one by one, which descend to the earth.
Some of the tentacles have by this
time found that the tree itself affords
an easy descent, and one day root
starts along the branch, and, reaching
the trunk, trips lightly down its spiral
stairs, and thus reaches the soil. Others,
finding this way SO easy, follow, and so
the roots increase in number and size,
nourishing their master above. It has
now grown in strength and vigor, and
wrapping themselves around the trunk
of the tree that supports them, the roots
strain and press upon it cruelty. It is
struggle for life, but their forest host
Is doomed. Slowly and surely they en-
velop it. The embrace of the fig is
death. At last the great tree dies, and
little by little, rotting branch by branch,
it falls to pieces, and its place is taken
by the ogre that has strangled it.
The fig trees shown in the illustration
are not far from Northeast Point, on
the coast of the beautiful island Of
Jamaica. The trunk of the larger is
about SO feet in circumference. It is
composed of a mass of great columns,
twisted and strained together like tan
gled and knotted cables Of enormous
size. Some of them, 10 and IA inches
through, are separated from the main
trunk. Apparently rock formed the
foundation for this great tree. The
other has displaced what was once a
tree about foot in diameter, which can
still be seen in the midst of the twisted
strands Of the fig which make up a
trunk three feet in thickness. It's roots
sprawl over the ground like so many
big snakes.
The wild fig belongs to the same fam
lily as the banyan. It is found in the
East and West Indies and in Australia,
and has the same destructive habits
everywhere. Sometimes it grows to
an immense size. The wood is soft,
and the natives make bowls, trays and
spoons of it. The fruit is about as
large as an apricot.-EustaceB b. Rogers,
in st. Nicholas.