The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-01
soME INDIAN Il
Their Many Economic Uscs n h sacred
Character Of acne.

Tnear MANY ECONOMIC ANcs ana the S1creu
character Of a"ne.
From NJ Sid.esmdn.
A newcomer to India was once pdvIsod by
an old resident TO get up the trees" This
advice did not apply, "a the recipient Of II at
first not unnaturally supposed. to an Innocent
and inexpensive form OF athlctic exercise.
nor to the adoption OF the habits OF the savage
tribes known az tree dwcllcrs, but simply to
the Availability Of learning the names OF tho
common trees OF the country and OF acquiring
the power OF recognizing them when seen.
For one thing, IL IL by trees that travellers
on the beaten track are expected to find their
way. An Indian ~villager, be he ever so lg-
norant In other respects, is as familiar with
the trees in his neighborhood IA a London
policeman IL with the streets on bis beat.
Instead OF being told TO take three to tho
right and two to the left. you are directed to
make straight for a big banyan whose crest
Ia 10 be discerned on the horizon. Pass to the
east Of II and you will come to three palm
trees: keep them on your right hand and pass
between a tamarind and n mango, and you
will hit upon a path that will tasr you straight
to the village you are searching for. SO
familiar are the people with the trees that the
writer has met a vil'ager who, after he be-
came blind. could identify any tree by finger
ing Its leaves.
Then the economic Importance OF trees can
only be realized by those who have lived
hHlOhB u blllHgeThs Inc IOpu HuppUth "
not by any means limited to the fruits OF
commerce. and flowers. leaves. twigs and
roots are largely used as well. The leaves OF
certain trees. pinned together by twigs, serve
as plates. or are fashioned into drinking cups.
A great many domestic remedies. for man
and beast. are also derived from the forest.
and there Is no doubt that some OF them are
effcacious. II Is not so very long since some
Of the hill and jungle tribes Of India, like our
first parents, clothed themselves with leaves.
and II is said that II required a military expe-
dition TO induce some of the women In Orissa
to discard this primitive dress In favor OF
cotton %sdries. A man will often make his
house entirely from trees. plastered with a
little mud. the roof being constructed OF
Palmyra palm leaves or others Of a large size
and firm texture. Dyes. tans, ink, books.
shoes, waterproof capes. gum, sealing wax.
rope-these are but a very few Of tho mis-
cellAneous articles that are got from trees.
No wonder the planting of a grove OF trees
ranks with digging a tank or sinking a well
as a work Of religious merit, If we were to
include the bamboo and similar plants the
list OF manufactured articles would be end
less; but the bamboo Is q grass and not a tree.
Even to mention the common trees OF India
would be a lengthy task. so we confne our
selves to the most familiar. Nearly all that
are about to be mentioned are found either
within the writer's compound or in Its imme-
date neighborhood.
First come the hR tribe: the banyan and
his brothers. The banyan, the big brother OF
the family, Is our very own-Ficus bengalen-
sis. That true tree lover Oliver Wendell
Holmes wrote that his tree wives were moro
numerous than Brigham YounE's human
ones. The ring with which he welded them
was a thirty foot measuring tape; with which
he encircled them at the height OF five feet
above the ground. His first class trees were
those whose branches at their widest circum-
H. . Va1-a1 Foot Hi
favorites were eims; and he made some re-
marks about cherishing the hope Of still hav-
ing pleasure at the elm. even when youth
was no longer on the prov. II merit goes
by bulk no doubt the banyan comes first,
and a circumference OF twenty feet round
the trunk could hardly be regarded as a mark
Of distinction in il. But it is often a parasite,
a vampire. sucking the life blood of its vic
tim and crushing 1t to death. It's fruit is
eaten by the very poor, elephants greatly
relish it's leaves and branches. but Its vide
spread, grateful shade is perhaps its most
valued product. A much more handsome
tree, more independent and self-respecting.
Is the pipal, the Ficus religiosa. It Is the
most sacred Of the five trees regarded with
generation BIZ the HiDdus, the other four
being the RuIar, the barRad. the pakHr and
the mango. Brahma. Vlshnu and SiFa are
all imposed to lnhabit 1t. and no one can tell
how many minor spirits as well, whose whs-
DcTMK8 are buppObth W bN "a "N eN
leaves, suspended by their long, slenderstalks.
futter in the slightest breath OF wind II a :
man takes a pipal leaf in his hand and crush a..
ing IL expresses a wish that the gods may so
crush him II he is not telling the truth the
oath is regarded az Of the utmost sanctity.
A pious Hindu will often take on his shoes
when he comes to a pipal. and walk five times
round 1t from left to right. repeating as he
does 30 a verse which says: THE roots are
Brahma, the bark Vishnu, the branches tho
Mahadeo. In the bark lives the Ganges. the
leaves are the minor deities. Hail to'thee,
king OF trees" The gular Ficus glomerata).
the bargad, which Is another name for the
banyan, and the pakar tFicus venosaI are all
members OF the fig tribe. the Levites OF tho
forest. The gular yields a larger fruit than
the banyan, and is a good deal used as a food.
In the extremely hot weather Of this year the
wri,er found that mysterious holes were being
dug by night round the roots of a large gular
tree in his compound. On inqulring into the
cauee he found that the servants were incis-
ing the roots to obtain the juice, which they
said they drank to keep up their strength
during the heat. There are more than a
hundred species OF the Ficus genus TO be
found in India: and 500 more etswhere.
Caoutchouc, or India rubber. is derived from
the Ficus e~lastica; a somewhat similar milky
Juice exuoes from the other species.