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woody shell which is closely packed [with rough shelled three-sided 

 nuts, about an inch and a half in length. Each of the larger shells 

 contains from five to eight nuts. When fully ripe the fruit falls from 

 the trees, and the nuts are eagerly collected, forming an important 

 article of food for both men and some of the lower animals in their 

 native localities, where they are known under the name of Juvia. 

 Considerable quantities of the nuts are exported to Europe, where 

 there is a large demand for them. This tree forms perfect forests 

 in its native localities, and it is dangerous to enter them at the period 

 when the fruit ripens, as being so large and heavy, it falls with great 

 force. In addition to its value as an edible nut, the kernels by 

 pressure yield a fine bland oil w r hich is used to some extent by 

 watchmakers. 



CULTIVATION AND PROPAGATION. 



The Brazil Nut can only be successfully cultivated in the tropical 

 portions of Australia. Being a valuable tree it is worthy of attention 

 in congenial localities. It grows naturally in deep rich soils bordering 

 the rivers Amazon and Oronoca, and will doubtless thrive well in the 

 coast districts of Queensland and North Australia. Propagation is 

 most commonly effected by seeds, but cuttings of the ripened wood 

 will strike in sand or light soil. 



BREAD FRUIT, 



HISTORY AND USES. 



The Bread Fruit is a handsome evergreen tree known as Artocarpus 

 incisa (commum's) belonging to the Artocarpeas section of the Urticaceae 

 or Nettle family. It is indigenous to Tahite, and other of the South 

 Sea Islands, as also the Molucca and Sunda Islands. The botanic 

 name is derived from artos bread, and carpus a fruit, in allusion to the 

 purpose for which it is. used. The tree attains a height of from 

 twenty to thirty feet, and has large bright-green deeply lobed leaves 

 which measure from eighteen inches to two feet in length. There 

 are both male and female flowers, and the fruit is globular or oblong, 

 from nine to twelve inches long, and somewhat similar to a melon. 

 The fruit is marked with a number of diamond shaped scars or facets, 

 and the so called Bread is a white spongy substance. The true fruit 

 consists of seeds or nuts, that are embedded in this spongy mass. 

 These seeds are however, seldom produced by trees under cultivation. 

 Bread Fruit, like the Banana, is a staple article of food with the 

 natives of many of the South Sea Islands. They prepare the fruit 

 by roasting it till the outside covering, or shell, is charred sufficiently 

 for it to be rubbed off. The pulp is then eaten, and has a flavour 

 which may be compared to that of ordinary bread and Chestnuts 

 combined. It should be eaten fresh, as when allowed to get stale, 

 the material becomes harsh and woolly. Many Europeans are partial 



