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the flowers are hermaphrodite, that is, furnished with stamens and pistils. 

 The flowers are reddish, small, and produced in racemes. When the 

 female flowers are fertilized they are succeeded by curved pods about an 

 inch in width, and from five to ten in length. 



USES. 



The Carob is used extensively in its native regions, as also in the South 

 of Europe and Northern Africa as food for horses, cattle, sheep, and pigs. 

 It is also frequently used as food by human beings. In Egypt, Italy, 

 Spain, Turkey, and Syria, the ground pods are mixed with maize meal, 

 and made into bread. In the first-named country and throughout 

 Palestine, a sweet syrup or honey is extracted from the pods, and forms 

 and important article of diet. All kinds of stock are very fond of Carob 

 beans, and the flesh of cattle, sheep, and pigs is said to be greatly 

 improved by their use. Dairy cows are said to yield more milk when 

 supplied with Carob beans, while at the same time it will be richer in 

 cream. Large quantities of the pods are imported to Great Britain every 

 year from eastern Mediterranean coantries, and they are used as horse 

 feed, as also for cattle and sheep. They are very nourishing, as they 

 contain about 66 per cent, of sugar and gum. Some of the patent 

 mixtures sold as " cattle food " are largely composed of meal made from 

 Carob beans. The pods are dried, ground, and used as a substitute for 

 chocolate. With the addition of water and fermented, they are converted 

 into a palatable beverage, and a good spirit may be obtained from them 

 by distillation. A medicinal syrup is also extracted from the pods. 

 While green, the pods contain a large percentage of tannic acid, and con- 

 siderable quantities are used in the preparation of Morocco and other fine 

 leathers. The fruit-bearing trees are usually very prolific, and in their 

 native regions a plantation is considered to be of equal value with a 

 vineyard or olive grove, According to Chambers, instances are on record 

 of single trees yielding nearly half a ton of pods in a season. Under 

 ordinary favourable conditions the Carob will attain a great age. Many 

 trees are known to be over a hundred years old, and still in a flourishing 

 condition. The Carob should be widely cultivated in Australia as a tree 

 supplying food for stock. Being in a large measure able to resist drought, 

 it is a tree deserving of special attention in the dry interior districts of 

 Australia. Being a handsome tree, the Carob may also with advantage 

 be planted for ornament, and large specimens afford a grateful shade in 

 warm regions . This tree also makes an excellent breakwind for vineyards 

 or orchards in hot dry districts when planted close, though it is some- 

 what slow in growth for a few years. The wood of the Carob is hard, 

 heavy, fine-grained, and valuable to cabinet makers and turners. 



CULTIVATION 



The Carob will adapt itself to a wide range of climate and may be 

 cultivated successfully throughout a considerable portion of Australasia. 

 In fact it will thrive in any locality where the frosts are not severe. It 



