The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-08-01
Amos Cummings Discusses Them Like
Botanist

meath them daily, totally unaware of
their history and value
Ihere are other plants here. how
ever, Tar more interesting. One is the
pandanus utilis. 1t is a sort of Span-
Ish payonet that grows like a cork
9Sae"; more people sleep on its leaves
IMAM on hair or feathers. 1t grows in
tropical climates. The leaves are
stripped and woven into mats. They
cannot be broken nor pulled apart.
thousands sleep upon these mats. as
they can be thrown upon the ground
anywhere, and no dampness can peneI
tfate them. The Fiji cannibals used
these leaves in tying thier victims at
thelr feasts. This vegetable corkscrew
is thrown in the shade by what ia
Known as the monkey puzzle. It's
scientific name is araucaria imbricata,
Inc branches are intoxicated with spi-
nal leaves. In the mountains of Chile
and Peru 1t frequently reaches the
height Of 40 feet. The fruit is delic-
1ous. Monkeys are eager to secure it.
They throng about the trees by hun
dreds when the fruit is ripe 1t is
found in the cones, which are quite
large. Each cone contains 200 seeds
the size of a walnut
Here on the right of the path is the
araucar1a cookii. 1t gets it's name from
Capt Cook. In Australia it grows to
the height Of $50 feet. When the great
navigator approached that coast he
saw this tree, and took it for a pagoda
built by the natives. Fancying they
were Warlike people, he made no land
Ing and left the coast. Another speci-
men, now in the conservatory, was
brought to this country by Commodore
Wilkes, who secured it in his cello
prated voyage around the world. When
ne reached New York the tree was
stolen by one of his sailors and sold
to a lady in Brooklyn. She placed it
IN her green house Within few years
II grew so large that the green house
became too small for it, Then her
conscience troubled her and she sent
IL 10 the botanic garden, where 1t be-
longeo. The tree resembles a noun
tain fir, but the leaves are far more
delicate.
Ten steps further on and a connection
OF hg trees appears. Here is the syca-
more hg from Egypt. 1t grows from
twenty to thirty feet in height. This
specimen is knotty and gnarled and
somewhat resembles the Southern man
grove. This is the wood from which
cotflnS were made thousands of years
ago for the Egyptian mummies. No
insect ever attacks it. Near il the
far-famed mango tree appears. It
bears a delicious tropical fruit This
tree has been in the garden for more
than forty years. 1t is about eight
feet high, but has been cut back re-
peatedly, so as to keep it within the
hot house in winter.
Passing on you come to a group of
rubber trees.
why do you keep these rubber
trees among the fig trees?" the superin-
tendent was asked.
Because" he replied, the rubber
tree is a fig tree. All the rubber trees
decorating homes in New England are
fig trees. In Paris they were first used
in restaurants tahla
1t is OF the same genus as the fig tree,
and bears figs. ThSe are fifty or siXtv
kinds of fig trees, but only four species
bear edible fruit. /
The fig trees stood beneath a very
shady maple. It's bark was black and
it was covered with darkIgr -an leaves
The garden contains no f " thrifty
tree. 1t is the black sugar maple.
found in the Southern statIs The son
here seems to be exactly suited to it..
Vermont maple, when stood near,
seems to be dying of the heat Among
the other trees is Variegated crown
fig from New South Wales, and a
laurel leaf fig from India. The collec-
ton is rounded up with the ticus Cum
ningham, from Queensland.
Near these figs a magnificent speci-
men of the candlenut tree is seen. 1t
was brought here from the Fiji islands
by Commodore Wilkes over fifty years
ago. The natives used these nuts in
the place of oil. They were suspended
upon string. hanging from the peak
OF the hut. When a visitor entered,
the eldest son kindled q flame in the
lower nut. which was drawn down to
the end of the string. Each nut burned
about ten minutes. When the last nut
on the string was burned, 1t was q
hint for the visitor to take his de-
parture.
A candle tree from Panama attracts
n1 into II hos lot,
a stately presence. The seeds are Of
the size of and resemble a tallow dip.
A tub of New Zealand flax recalls an
interesting incident. Years ago Prof.
Mackey appeared before a committee
of the house of commons, dressed from
head to foot in an attire made from
the fiber of this plant. Its leaves re-
semble the yucca or bear grass of the
South, but are very much longer. Mack
ely proposed to plant it in Ireland
fancyfng that 1t would give rise to a.
new industry. The experiment failed,
because it was found impossible to re-
move the green substance from the
leaves. They could not be bleached nor
macerated without spelling the fiber.
the New Zealanders scrape the green
color away with shells. but the Job is
an arduous and difficult one.
Near the dollhouse we find fragrant olive
from China It's buds are used in havorns
tea and are very valuable. This tree hiss
been scattered throughout the South, and
there are many fine speciments in Florida. A
tamarind near by brought a smile TO tho
ace of tie supe'.n end, mt. 'Many years ago.
he said, "a very worthy Quaker sowed some
tamarind seeds in Virginia. They sprouted
and came up. but the cold weather killed
all but one-at least sc the Quaker thought.
This one grew until it bore seeds, and the
Quaker sold them to the seed department Of
flee, from which point they were distributed
North. South, East and West as Virginia
tamarinds. They really nothing but the
common honey locust, which had been mis-
taken by the old Quaker for tamarind which s.
it somewhat resembles" Far more interesting
is the hydrocarpus incbrlens 1t is a native
of Ceylon and grows upon the banks of It's
streams. The fruit drops into the water and
Is eagerly eaten by the fish, 1t has an in
toxicating effect upon them. The flesh Of such
fish when eaten by human beings also pro-
duces intoxlcation and IS poisonous.
Amos ]. Cummings.