The Banian tree is considered as one of the most curious and beautiful of nature's productions in the climate of India. Each tree is, in itself, a grove, and some of them of amazing size, as they are continually increasing, and seem to be exempted from decay. For every branch from the main body throws out its own roots, at first in small tender fibres, several yards from the ground, which continually grow thicker, until, by a gradual descent, they reach its surface; where, striking in, they increase to a large trunk and become a parent tree, throwing out new branches from the top. These in time suspend their roots, and, receiving their nourishment from the carth, swell into trunks, and shoot forth other branches; thus continuing in a state of progression so long as the first parent of all supplies her suste nance. A Banian tree with many trunks, forms the most beautiful walks and cocl recesses that can be imagined. The leaves are large, soft, and of a lively green; the fruit is a small fig, when ripe of a bright scarlet. The Hindoos are peculiarly fond of this tree; they consider its long duration, its outstretching arms, and overshadowing beneficence, as emblems of the Deity, and almost pay it divine honours. ¿tr-čum'fé-rénée tŏl-lō'qui-ǎl ¿fr-čŭm'flū-ént kŏl-lu'sor com-mo'di-ous tom-mŏd'i-tj di-vil'i-ty tom-bus'ti-ble tom-mu'ni-čǎnt to-ǎd'jū-tǎnt co-agu-late to-mě'di-ăn tom-păr'ǎ-tive tom-mem"ō-rāte com-păr i-son tō-in'ĉi-děnce tŏm-mend'ă-ble com-passion-āte col-lǎt"ĕr-ǎl tom-mens"ū-rāte čōm-păt'i-ble tol-lei-an com-misĕr-ate com-pen'al-ous tom-pen/af-ům čŏon-ču pi-scence con-spič"ū-ous com-pěti-tor ton-fět/tton-ěr čon-stitu-ĕnt tom-pla'cen-cỷ tōn-gë'ni-ǎl con-ta'¿i-on tom-pres'si-ble con-ģē'ri-ēs con-tā'gi-oŭs m-pul'sor- on-grǎt"ū-lāte con-temp'ti-ble con-tǎv'i-tý tŏn-sid'ĕr-ate on-tempt"ū-oŭs con-ceiv'ǎ-ble on-so'lǎ-ble ton-tig'ù-oùs con-com'i-tant on-soli-date con-tin'u-ǎl kň. con-troll'ǎ-ble tŏr-rupt'i-ble de-cǎp'i-tāte dē-čĭd”ū-oŭs con-vē'ni-ěnce čŏš-mog“ră-fhỷ dē-ċĕm'vi-rī čŏn-věníti-èle koŭr-ā ģē-ous ton-věr'ti-ble èrī-tē'ri-on dē-¿i'sive-ly ton-věx'i-tý Tū-pid/i-tj Co-op'ĕr-āte čū-tā'në-oŭs de-ci'sō-ry dē-du'cf-ble tor-rěl'a-tive cy-lin'dri-căl dē-fi'êtĕn-¿ cěr-robo-rāte de-bili-t dē-fi'nă-ble dis-tom'fit-'ure dis-sim'i-lår ē-ton'ō-m. dis-ton'sō-lāte di-věr'si-fy ĕf-fĕct"û-ăl dis-tov'ĕr-y di-vin'i-ty ĕf-fĕm'i-nāté dis-franchiše-měnt do-li-tỷ ěf-flūvi-a dis-păr❜f-ty dō-měs'ti-tāte ĕf-fron'tĕr dis-pĕn'sǎr- dox-ŏl'ō-g ē-grē'¿i-oŭs dis-quǎl'i-fy due-til'f-t e-jǎc'ū-lāte dis-sěm-nate dū-plci-tỷ ěl-lip'ti-tăl ē-lū'či-date ĕm-phǎt'it-ăl ē-nun/bi-āte e-ly-ăn em-piri-diểm ê-phim/ē-ră ē-ma'chi-āte ĕm-pov/ĕr-ish ē-piph”ă-n ē-măn'¿i-pāte ĕm-pуr'ē-ăl ē-pis'to-păl ĕm-bǎr/rǎss-ment ĕn-cō'ini-um ē-pit'ō-mē ĕm-bròl'dĕr- e-nòr'mi-ty ē-quív"ă-lĕnt kw The Bread Fruit Tree grows in the islands of the Pacific ocean. It is of the height of 50 or 60 feet, branching out in a large spreading top, which affords a beautiful appearance, and an extensive shade from the rays of the sun. The leaves of this tree are sixteen inches long and nine inches wide, deeply notched, somewhat like the fig leaf. The fruit when ripe is about the size of a child's headsomewhat oval in its shape-has a thin and delicate skin, a large tough core with remarkably small seeds, situated in a spongy substance between the core and eatable part, which is next to the find. It is eaten baked, boiled, or roasted; whole, quartered, or cut in slices, and cooked; either way i found exceedingly palatable, is greatly preferred by many to our soft bread, which it somewhat resembles in taste, but is much sweeter. The trees afford the natives an agreeable and refreshing shade; the leaves afford excellent covering for their horses: of the inner bark of the small branches they make cloth; the juice win exudes, enables them to destroy the rats which infest them, and of the trunk of the tree they form their canoes, and many parts of their houses. |