Year: 1873

A REMARKABLE TREE. oa


The San Francisco Alta Of the 18th
instant gives, editorially, the following
remarkable statement Of facts: s.s
Some sixteen years ago we were led to
plant row of the seed of the malva
tree around one-acre lot, for the pur-
pose of breaking the force of the wind,
knowing that it was a rapid grower.
In two years the trees had attained the
average height of fifteen feet, and grew
most luxuriantly, At that time we
bought two cows which we turned loose
in the lot to feed upon the clover.
They left the clover and ate only the
large juicy leaves of the malva. At
the end Of each leaf, where it Joined the
branch, lay tiny leaf folded in, and
as soon as the other was nippel off the
new one took its place, leaving still
others behind that. Thus O perpetual
supply was left. The cows could. not
reach above seven feet, and we used to
cut down many of the upper branches
for them. After the first year, cattle
can be allowed to feed upon the young
trees with impunity. The trees which
surrounded that acre lot fed those two
cows summer and winter for eight years.
In the meantime we tried the expert
ment of feeding it to pigs and goats and
sheep, all relishing it alike. All this
while the branches were hung with the
crimson, bell-shaped flowers, and liter
ally swarmed with the bees of near
neighbor, who told us that the hives
were running over with honey. Chick
ems eat the seed with avidity which fall
to the ground. About the winter of the
eighth year after planting the seed, most
Ct the old trees were of an average di-
ameter of eighteen inches in the body
and about twenty feet in hight, of solid
wood. Beyond that hight the branch
es were green and tender. During the
Winter of the ninth year many of the
old trees blew down and lay there un-
touched till Spring. t'l 1.--e"pa


One day, happening to need some fire.
wood, we took an AK and tried to. cut
one, but found to our surprise that the
ax merely crushed, but did not cut it.
On looking, We found that tie whole
tree stump was one firm mass of fiber,
firm and strong. It was longer than
any now known, and could be peeled
Oft the tree in layers, one after another,
as delicate and as fine as lace. We
then took portion of it and pounded
it, and it broke up as fine as tow. We
then compared the broken fiber with
manila, and found this to be stronger
and more pliable, besides being more
than twice as long. We then made
rope of it, and found it in those respects
better than manila rope, being smooth
er and more pliable. We then made
some twine of it, but found it was not
as strong linen twine until waxed. We
then put some of the broken fibre in
the sun, and bleached it by putting wa
ter on it day by day, and it became
delicate creamy white, still retaining it's
strength. We then took an old chair
and of it made an impromptu loom, in
which we wove about half a yard square
of material-very coarse, but very much
like the grain sacks now in use. e


Those experiments, which we have re-
lated at length, demonstrate the ca
pacities of this tree to become nm arti-
Gle of great value. 1t can be planted
around farm, in places where nothing
else will grow, fand from what trees
would circle 160-acre farm, can be
obtained more fiber for commerce than
could be obtained during all those
years if flax were sown over the whole
farm. It, in that case, would benefit
the climate, and through that the farm
ers. In few lands it keeps away disease
affords pleasant variety to the scenery,
and would sustain dairy cattle, or even
horses, in times of scarcity, fc- this new
er fails. ''H 4V"lN '''-


California has long needed something
which could be depended upon as
feed for cattle during all seasons, and
this tree is, doubtless, the best, con-
sidering all things, of anything yet dis
covered; for this will grow when grass
will not, and it is SO nutritious that q
little hay, or even straw, is all else that
is required to keep cattle in good con-
dition. From experiment it was found
that silk worms will exist on the young
leaves of this tree; but whether they
will produce silk or not is not yet known.
The experiment was tried, at our sug-
gestion, by Mr.. Prince, of Altavills, in
Calaveras county, when his mulberry
crop failed. The leaves, bruised and
stepped in cold water, are given toopeo-
pie i'll of fevers and summer complaints,
and adds one more to the long list Of
the benefits of the malva tree.
~ Ayoung Boston girl is out in an
advertisement for work. She says she
has been educated in the best schools.