Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1909-03-12
THE BOTTLE TREE.
A Life Saver For Cattle During the
Australian Droughts.

~
Australian Droushts.
ut was like q 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
llshman described the first bottle tree
which came under his notice, and truly
one who does not know the tree Its
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, Its 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
cuiarity of most Australian trees
namely. their lack of branches for a
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 1t
lacks its sweet. pleasant taste 1t 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
ly difficult to procure. Then the bottle
tree comes to the rescue. Every scrub
is searched for these living bottles,
and everywhere Is 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 till 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 a 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 the
strips through the cutter and thus
make substitute for proper chaff.
In many instances during drought,
except for prickly pears and the foil
age Of trees cattle are fed on these
living bottles alone, and they have
been the means of saving large quanti'
ties Of stock.
1t seems strange that In the absence
Of rain these trees should retain their
moist interior, as the majority of 9TH
ers look dry and drought stricken.
But throughout all the bottle tree
fiourishes, lifting its dark green leaves
toward the sky, whittier the farmers
and squatters turn longing eyes In
hopes of the wished for rain.
When the dry season ends and the
land in a very few weeks Is covered
with fresh green grass. the work OF
the bottle tree Is done. But, mindful
of its past usefulness. no farmer un-
less under absolute necessity fells this
tree, and it may often be seen stand
Ing In solitary grandeur. its strange
shape outlined against the blue sky.
while the land at its base has been
put under cultivation or has been con-
verted into grazing grounds for the
cattle.