180 THE HUMAN SIDE OF TREES 



the tree and allowed to stand, this milk thickens to 

 a substance much resembling cheese. It is doubtful 

 whether either the milk or the cheese could compete 

 in the world's markets with the Simon-pure cow 

 variety. 



There are a whole series of Indian, African and 

 South American plants called butter trees. They 

 mostly yield fixed oils which have more of the prop- 

 erties than the colour and consistency of our famil- 

 iar dairy product. It is in the nuts that the oil is 

 most often found. 



In the South Sea Islands the natives have cheap 

 lighting bills. All they have to do is to place a few 

 baked kernels of the tallow or candle tree on a 

 stick and they have a torch which yields a bright 

 clear light. The tallow can be extracted from the 

 seeds by boiling. It is sometimes used for food. 



From the candle tree of Panama hang cylindri- 

 cal wax-like fruits which look like tallow candles. 

 Unfortunately, they cannot be burned. 



In Madagascar are many dry and arid regions. 

 A flourishing native of such sections is the travel- 

 ler's tree. Many a thirst-stricken wanderer has 

 come upon these friends of man and rejoiced at his 

 find. No matter how hot the temperature or how 

 long ago the last rain fell, their enormously thick 

 leaves will always yield about a quart of clear, 



