The evening times., 1898-07-08
THE ROYAL PALM OF CUBA.
A Tree Called Blessed Because
Every Part In Useful.

abcIuhs
Not only is the climate of Cuba favor
able to the planting Of crops whenever
the farmer chooses to plant them, and the
the lands SO rich that no fertilizer 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 fibrous wood. supporting a cluster of
pennated leaves, like bunch of plumes
on long stick, Is marvel of beauty
and utility, yet II is one 81 the most COM
mon of all trees in Cuba. 1t is met with
most everywhere; in the center of the
broad pasture lands 1t often stands alone,
tall and straight: while bordering the
cultivated fields of the rich planter 1t
forms shady avenues to his dwelling.
Again, its seed finds root amid the gloom
of the somber forest, sending the tall
shaft high up to find room for its fairy
like cluster of plumes in the free air
above. On the plains 1t often forms de-
licious groves of shade. and on the dis
tant mountains 1t may be seen rearing
its plumed crest against the sky, and 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 II has its useful
ness to mankind. Certain medicinal quail
tiles are claimed for lis roots, and its
trunk is 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, II is only the outside hard
shell of the trunk which furnishes these
boards.
From this hard. fibrous wood some very
pretty canes are made which take a
most beautiful polish. The leaves of
the palm grow from the center of the
trunk, first in the form of a delicate
spire. shooting up, which, gradually
unfolding itself, forms a new leaf These
leaves continue to grow from the CEN
ter spire to a great length, forming the
cluster which, in the case of the royal
palm, resembles SO much a bunch of
enormous plumes.
The leaves. when they cannot grow any
more, drop to the ground from the bot
tom of the cluster. thus making room
for the new ones which are always COM
ing out of the center.
The bud or root of the center spire
from which the leaves grow, consists OF a
tender substance buried deep down with
in the cluster of green leaves, and forms
a very palatable food. either in the raw
state or cooked as a vegetable, or made
into 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 embraces
the trunk of the tree and holds the leaf
in place until 1t withers ana drops to the
ground. The stem is called the "ya-
qua II resembles thin board. often as
long as man is tall and the Cuban in
surgent, now nearing independence,
makes it serve him a variety of purposes.
For example, when In the field 1t fire.
quently served the writer as q plate by
simply cutting of section of 1t.
BY soaking in water it is rendered plia-
BILE so that it may be folded almost as
readily as a piece of stin paper. Thus
softened it is folded at the ends. some
thing after the fashion of a bakers pa
per hat. and fastened with wooden pins.
In this shape It is called "catarro,"
and serves the Cuban farmer as a water
bucket. or a wash basin. or a receptacle
for milk, lard. cheese. eggs. or whenever
a receptacle of any kind may be needed.
A group Of insurgents have been seen US
ing "yagua'' thus folded as kettle to
cook their breakfast of beef and yams.
The water kept the fibrous wood from
burning and the food thus cooked requir-
ed no salt other than that which was
extracted from the "yagua' in the pro-
cess of cooking. 7-