Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-06-04

the plant Is as simple as that of the cur
rant or gooseberry Many people in
South Carolina today have private tea
gardens for their own use. half dozen
punches furnishing a sufficient supply
for family. The seeds look like hazel
nuts.
Camphor, likewise. might be grown
i'm parts of the United States. 1t is the
resnous gum of species of laurel that
is indigenous to Eastern Asia. The tree
is large one, attaining a diameter OF
20 feet. Being chopped down. it is cut
into chips. which are put into water aud
boiled, the camphor passing in the shape
of vapOr through bamboo tube. The
process is one of primitive distillation,
the gum beng condensed in crystals,
which are packed in tubs. From the
boiling there Is a residue of oil, which is
used by the natives for Illuminating
purposes. There Is already one success
full camphnr forest in southern Florida.
The soil of California is well adapted
to the species of oak whose bark Is the
cork of commerce In fact, small forests
of the trees are already growing
in that state, and the depart
ment of agriculture has sent many
bushels OF the acor1s thither for plant
ing Portugal is the greatest producer
of cork to-day. and the enormous con.
sumption of the article is Indicated by
the circumstance that the world annually
uses 1000. 100000 corks for bottles. The
material has many other uses, however,
being employed for bicycle handles, hat
Innings, toilet powder, lining for ice
houses, life preservers. saddles. life
boats, artificial legs and arms. buoys
and inner soles for shoes. In Southern
Europe it is utilized for roofing pals,
window. lights. plates. tubs. cups. re-
ligious images. horseshoes and collins.
Much of the finest quality goes into nose
pieces for eyeglasses. We imported
81 $40. 337 worth of cork last year
The culture of the rubber tree is being
tried in the region of the Florida Ever
glades. In thar part of the country Is a
vast swampv region that could he made
to supply the world with rubber. At
present the market supply is threatened
seriously by reckless destruction of trees
in Mexico and Brazil. There are sever
al rubber.producing plants, the best of
them being the Siphon elastica. a superb
tropical tree. which has seeds like horse
chestnuts. three in pod. When ripe,
the pod bursts like a cracker, throwing
the seeds to a distance. This tree does
not come into full bearing of sap until
its 2Oth year; the Juice is - per cent rub
Der. 4 full.grown specimen will pro-
duCe 80 pounds of milk per annum for
forty wears The finest rubber blankets
are made by pouring the sap upon can
vas. 1t is striking fact that this
country imported SlGl03,0Q0 worth Of
crude rubber last year.
1t seems surprising to learn that SlGG.-
3S4 worth of sea weed were imported
INFO this country last year. These
plants are used largely in the manufacture
of soda, iodine. bromne and gelatnous
extracts. On the French shore of the
British Chanuel more than 2,250, 900 tons
of sea weeds are gathered each year with
drags and rakes OF sea weed products
The most important is iodine. the entire
worlds supply of which is got from this
source. A marine plant called japanese
isinglaSs contains so much gelatint
that il has eight times the gelAtinzing
power of ordinary gelatine. Two com
mon species called "laver" and "dulse'
are eaten by the Haida Indians of Oul
Northwest coast: they are dried. pressed
! in solid blocks. ard cut in slices fol
boiling. Another kind. known as "lriSf
moss" furnishes cosmetic for the hail
-"bandOline. 1t is collected in large
quantities on Cape Cod every summer
and sold for making pudC ings. Brewer:
and calico printers use it in their bust
ness. But nearly all the sea weed crol
in this country remains ungathered.
Truilies have recently been gathered
and preserved in large quantities in Cali
fornia. They are put up in cans, par
boiled and sealed in tn ir own Juice. L
may be that these delicious fungi OF
domestic production might take the place
of the imported, of which many thous
ands of dollars worth come from Franc,
annually. That country produces every
year So. 100000 worth of trutllrS. which
sell for s. a pound. They are fOunC
underground about oak trees. and dog
and pigs. which are both very fond o.
Them are employed to smell them out
The origin OF the fungus is very curious
In July aud August little bue-winget
fly makes its way into the soil at III,
base of the oak tree, pierces the bark O.
the root and lays its eggs in the wound
From the scar develops viscous sub
stance. which grows into a trutlir. Th'
latter when fun grown is about size of /
walnut and has "A watty surface
The demand for citron in this country
will soon be supplied by the domesti,
product. The growing of the fruit j, al
increasing industry in California ant
Florida. Only the thcA rind Is utiiz ii
The fruit is cut in halves and put T.
casks with strong brine: then the pull
is separated from the riud by gougin!
it out. The rinds are immersed in tresl
water for three days, to free them 0
salt. and are boiled in a copper caldrol
until they are tender. Afterwards the,
are soaked and boiled in syrups of differ
ent strengths, and finally, when com
p etely saturated with sugar, are drier
on wire net coming out most appetiz
ingly covered with sugar crystals.
In Southern Florida might be cult
waited the trees that produce myrrh an
frankincense. which are in considerabl
commercial demand. Myrrh is the gun
of tree that grows in Southwestern
Asia. The chief markets are Bomba.
and Alden, where it is sorted, the hes
quality being sent to Europe and tn
poorer grades TO China. Once a year
on the feast of Epiphany, Queen Vic
toria makes an Offering of gold, frank
ipappca nd p,trrrb tho Chana1 Rox~a1