The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-17

| culiar musical instrument used by all
| the peasantry, is also made of 1t.
| The tree called tabanuco, which yields
| a valuable resin, is comon, especially in
the mountain of Luquillo, and in high
| parts of the island This resin is white,
very bitter, and is said to kill the borer
and other pests that destroy wood. For
this reason it was used In former times
for calking boats and was of great utility
| because of it's durability and value as an
| insecticide. 1t is sometimes employed in
/ the churches for incense and as a remedy
in some diseases.
No less useful are the resins of the
| trees called cupcy, mora, algarroba, and
especially that called pinuela. The latter
makes a varnish-like cement so perma-
nent that broken articles may be united
| so firmly that they never break again at
| the point of union.
The celiba tree grows to over 100 feet in
| height. It's diameter is so great that from
it's trunk canoes are made so feet in
length and 10 to IL feet in breadth This
tree produces a great quantity of pods,
4 inches in length and 1 inch in width,
which are full of a fine soft down called
wool oil ceiba. When these pods ma
ture they open and the wind carries away
! the contents. The same is the case
with the tree called guao, which differs
but little from this. Some value the wool
highly for mattresses and cushions, be-
/ cause they are cool and soft.
The canafistolo is not uncommon. The
tree is tall. its wood hard, of a reddish
color, and the leaves have the form Of a
| lance. The tree is covered with yellow
flowers in the spring. The physicians
call the pulp of the fruit cana, and purga-
| tives are made from 1t.
| Another tree which the forests contain
| produces the pimienta, or all-spice AL
10 OH %
| quality, 1t is little known because of it's
! limited expectation. 1t is ordinarily gath
| cred by the natives only after falling
| from the trees when it is ripe, on wet
soil exposed to rains and dews. which
| cause it to deteriorate Therefore it's
| condition when exported is not a cri-
| terion of its real quality.s This tree grows
| among the forest trees of the southern
coast of Porto Rico, especially in the dis
| trfcts of Guayama, Ponce and Coama,
| which are the dryest and least fertile in
| the island, the tree being rare on the
northern coast, which are fertile. Its
stem is tall, straight and smooth; the
wood is hard and suitable for working
| having a dark reddish color which in
| time becomes a luStrous black It's bark
is silver gray, its branches rich In foli-
age; the leaves, which resemble the lau-
rel, have the odor of pepper, and serve
for condiments and different remedies
In Jamaica and other pEaces this tree is
| cultivated by transplanting 1t to uplands
which will not serve for sugar cane
The pimienta is also gathered in ia
ndaica by beating the branches with a
pole before 1t Is perfectly ripe, and 1t is
dried ir the sun, protected from all
dampnesS and dew. 1t is cleansed with
care and put into bags for transporta-
ton to Europe with which there is a
prosperous commerce. In Porto Ri"n it
is utilized mostly without any precau-
tons for preserving it from humidity
or any preparations for drying 1t in the
sun, as it is gathered a few barrels at a
| time the rest being abandoned.
The climate produces q variety of
| fruits, unusual In their growth, and of
| excellent quality. The orange lime, lem
| ON, citron, guave, cashaw, anona, cora
zones, Nancy, jobos, aguacate alligator
pear), mango and other fruit trees of
warm countries are common throughout
| the island.
The Antilles are comparatively free
| from harmful animals and poisonous
| plants, but there are a few species of
| the latter with which the traveller should
| become acquainted III order to avoid I'M
pleasant consequences. Three of these
are alleged to be especially injurious
| the guao tree, the manchineel, and a
small herb called the they.
Tho tree called guao, called by the
| Mexicans teilathiam. although useful fol