Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1908-11-25
BREADFRUIT IN TAHITI.
DR.. EDWORDS TELLS ABOUT POPULAR
FOOD OF TAHITIANS.
II Takes the Place of Bread, Cake, Potatoes
and Sometimes Meat. and Grows in
Profusion.


letter forgot to mention breadfruit
as one of the staples to be found in
the market Breadfruit is one of the
main dependencies of the natives, for
food. 1t takes the place of bread,
cake. potatoes, and sometimes. meat.
1t grows in great prefusion, and on
market mornings one may buy half a
dozen breadfruit for ten cents.
1t grows about as large as a mans
head, and is prepared by baking it,
either whole or cut in halves. When
cooked it exudes sugar and is very
palatable.
l asked Alexander where the fruit,
which was brought in such profusion
to the market, came from, and his re.
ply was oh, it grows wild all over
the hills. Anybody can get it just for
the gathering. AS the Mariposa is
now on her way back to SanFrancisco
after more tired SOULS" things have
returned to normal, and 1 thought it
would be a good time to see interior
and see the fruit growing wild. With
Alexander as driver went first to
the famous waterfall gorge where, if
one cares to walk three miles after
reaching the end of the road. he will
see beautiful waterfall coming down
over the hills. did not take the
three mile walk, but i went far
enough to get an idea of the wonders
of tree growth. and to get personal
experience of picking wild fruit. that
is cultivated with such care in other
countries.
After climbing sharp hill sat
down to rest and at my feet / noticed
a small fresh lime. wondered if a
picnic party was ahead of me but on
looking up into the trees saw that
which l was leaning and which was
full of ripe lines. | began looking
about and saw several orange trees
covered with ripe fruit while below
me waved the immense trends of great
bananas with bunch of ripe fruit
blowing through the leaves. Along
the path we've number of pineapple
bushes looking much like big thistle
and in the center of each was ripen-
ing fruit. 1t was all wild and grow
ing in the midst of dense foliage.
The yellow fruit of a breadfruit tree
shone on the opposite side of the gorge.
On inquiry l learned that all of
these trees now growing wild are the
result of thought and design The
natives have praisworthy custom of
always planting the seedssof the fruit
they eat no matter where they may be |
and thus it comes that all these hills |
are covered with wild fir nit trees.
Coffee trees also grow in prefusion and |
all the natives have 90 do is to 20 to |
the hills and gather all they want
when it is ripe. The main crop of the |
island in addition to copra which is
dried cOcoanut is the vanilla bean.
This bean does not grow wild so that
it can be harvested but is cultivated
and tended with great care.
In addiI ion to wild fruit am told
that the hills are filled with wild
chickens, pigs and some horses.
These have all become wild from the
animals that have wandered
away from the farms. Wild chickens
are very plentiful and pigs may be had
for the shooting. In fact they are
pests in several of the districts. Ma.
tives are taxed five francs year for
owning a gun and quite a number
have them which they use to kill pigs
or chickens whenever they want fresh
meat Ii is to be noticed that all of
the pigs and most of the chickens
around farm houses are tied to posts
by strings attached to their legs. |
This is check to the tendency to
wander off and become wild animals
A nectar of land is equal to about
all acre and half. and OH this much !
ground the native can live in fine |
style. He can raise fruits of all sorts.
sufficient TO support his family with |
food, and give him surplus to sell |
which will bring him luxuries. Alex
ander took great pride in showing me
his three lectures. or seven acres and |
a half. and said that in few years he |
would raise enough cocoanuts and van.
lila bean to make him one of the we'll
off men of the island. He could sup
plement his crops with all the wild
fruit he cared to gather, and also with
wild coffee. Ii he wanted fresh meat
he could either shoot chickens and
pigs with his gun or go to the ocean
about two hundred yards from his
house and catch all the fish he want
ed. Certainly an ideal life.
Clarence K. Edwords. .
A woman in a town lying east of
the Rockies was much distressed at