Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1909-02-20
THE BOTTLE TREE.
A Life Saver For Cattle During tho
Australian Droughts.

ut was like real bottle. thirty feet
high, covered with the bark Of a box
tree and with a gum tree growing out
where the cork ought to be-"
Such was the way In Which, an Eng
lishman described the FIRST bottle tree
which came under his notice, and truly
one who does not know the tree It's
sudden appearance In his pathway,
often in the midst Of dense scrub, must |
make vivid impression.
The lower part OF the trunk Is thick |
and cylindrical, decreasing in size to-
ward the top, It's shape being that Of a
gigantic living bottle, from the neck OF
which spring the only branches and |
leaves that the tree possesses. In this
respect 1t carries TO an excess the pc
culiarity Of most Australian trees
namely, their lack OF branches for
considerable distance up the stem.
The bark is Of grayish color and is
very hard, says the Philadelphia In
quirer. but the wood inside is soft and
moist. The latter can be ,chewed IN
the same way as sugar cane. but as II
lacks its sweet. pleasant taste II is
rarely used in this way. This peculiar
characteristic Of the tree. however.
makes 1t valuable food for cattle.
Indeed, during the long droughts
which occasionally visit Australia hun
dreds Of settlers have to thank the
bottle tree for saving them from ruin
Sometimes for more than a year and
IN the inland districts for still longer
periods scarcely a drop of rain falls.
Every blade of grass Is dried. tanks
become empty, creeks no longer run
and IN many cases dry up altogether.
as do nearly all water holes and la
goons; cultivation is impossible. and
fodder for cattle and horses is extreme
" difficult to procure. Then the bottle
tree comes to the rescue. Every scrub
is searched for these living bottles.
and everywhere rs heard the ringing Of
axes as the strange. attractive trees
are laid low.
AS soon as the trunk has been strip
ped of its bark the cattle are brought
to it If within easy distance. and there
they remain TN neither leaves nor
wood is left. In places where the
settlers have no scrubs Of their own
they will drive many miles in order to
obtain q wagon load Of this great treas
ure.
Sometimes instead Of allowing the
animals free access to the tree the set
tiers cut the trunk into strips. put tho
strips through the cutter ana thus
, make a substitute for proper chat
IN many instances during drought
except for prlclzly pears and the foil
age Of trees. cattle are fed on thes'
living bottles alone. and they hay'
been the means a saving large quaint
ties OF stock.
II seems strange that Ia the absence
OF rain these trees should retain uhei
moist Interior, as the majority OF on
ers lool dry aud drought stricken.
p But throughout nll thc bottle ire
fourshes, lifting NJ dark green leave
toward the sky WHITTIER the fumer
40 and fquaffors rw longing eyes 4
hopes of fho wished for rain.
IA when fhe dry foason ends auld ill
4 land M "a very foN Neeks as cofein
i. NiN frosh greon grass. fAe Nork
ihe bottle uee s done. hnf mlnqfl
M iif past pfefui.ea no fnlmer pi
iess andnr absolute necessity feNs in
free and q mny ofiop pe seep aian'
"A ing ln solitary grandeur "a. filHns
fNnlo outlined Han| fNn 1lNe fh.
"A uh'e fAe land w M l0fe Nas pol
pHi nuaer culi'lH'Iun Az h1f lnfn eo
sW'ea inio ElHNng grounds ief At