Evening star., 1898-06-18
THE ROYAL PALM OF CUBA.
A Tree Called BIcssed of which Every
Part Is Useful.

Prem Current Literature.
Not only is the climate of Cuba favorable
to the planting of crops whenever the farm
er chooses to plant them. and the lands SO
rich that no fertilization is ever required,
but nature seems to have, with beneficent
hand. reared many strange trees and plants
to supply the wants of man without the
necessity of his planting them himself
First among these are the palms some
twenty-six varieties of which adorn the
fields of Cuba, giving shade, food and life
AT the head of these stands the royal palm.
This majestic tree consists Of a tall straight
trunk OF hbrous wood, supporting a cluster
of pennated leaves, like a bunch of plumes
on a long stick. 1t is a marvel of beauty
and utility, yet 1t is OF the most com
mon of all trees In Cuba. IL is met with
most everywhere: in the center of broad
pasture lands il often stands alone. .all and
straight; while bordering the cultivated
fields of the rich planter il forms shady
avenues to his dwelling. Again its seed
finds root amid the gloom of the somber
forest. sending the tall shaft hign up 10
find room for its fairylike cluster Of pumes
in the free air above. On the plains il
often forms delicious groves of shade and
on the distant mountain IL may be seen
rearing its plumed crest against the sky
ID in the valley below its dark green
leaves murmur softly in sweet cadence
with the winding river.
The palm has been called the blessed tree
for every part of il has its usefulness to
mankind. Certain medicinal qualities are
claimed for its roots. and its trunk easily
split into strips making excellent boards for
the siding of houses benches and even tables
As the trunk is without any bark, and its
center is very porous, increasing in density
toward the outer surface, which is nearly
as hard as glass. 1T is only the outside hard
shell of the trunk which furnishes tho Sc
boards From this hard, fibrous wood some
very pretty canes are made. which take
most beautiful polish. The leaves of the
palm grow from the center of the trunk
first in the form Of a delicate spire shoot
ing up, which, gradually unfolding itself.
forms new leaf. These leaves continue To
grow from the center spire to great
length forming the cluster which, in the
case of the royal palm, resembles 50 much
bunch OF enormous plumes. The leaves
when they cannot grow any more. drop to
the ground from the bottom of the cluster
thus making room for the new ones which
are always coming out of the center. The
bud or root of the center spire. from which
stance buried deep down within the cluster
OF green leaves, and forms very palata-
bic food. either in the raw state or cooked
as vegetable. or made into a preserve
with sugar.
One of the peculiarities of the royal palm
Is the stem of its long leaves. Ii is a
semi-circular stem, which embr aces the
trunk of the tree and holds the leaf in
place until it withers and drops to the
ground. The stem is called the "yagua'
1t resembles a thin board often as long as
man is tall. and the Cuban insurgent now
struggling for independence, makes IL serve
him a variety of purposes. For example,
while was in the field it frequently served
me as a plate by simply cutting of "A sec
ton of it, By soaking in water il is rem
dered piable. so that IL may be folded al
most as readily as a piece of stiff paper.
Thus softened il is folded at the ends some
thing after the fashion of bakers paper
hat. and fastened with wooden pins. In
this shape il is called "catarro, and
serves the Cuban farmer as a water bucket.
or U-n nNQ- 81 g.l..
lard, cheese, eggs, or whenever a receptacle
of any kind may be needed. 1 have seen a
group of rebels using a ''yagua' thus fold
ed as a kettle in which TO cook their break
fast of beef and yams. The water kept
the fibrous wood from burning. and | was
assured that the food thus cooked required
no salt other than that which was extract
ed from the ''yagua" in the process of cook
ing.