THE FARMER AT HOME. 



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grandeur of their appearance, many of them hardly yield to any other 

 vegetables in useful properties. The species are numerous, but are 

 not well understood ; and many fruits exist in collections which can- 

 not be referred to known genera. 



The stem is simple, or very rarely branching, and is sustained by 

 a mass of fibrous roots at the base. Though usually attaining the 

 stature of a tree, and sometimes ascending to a very great height, in 

 some species the stem rises only a few inches above the surface of the 

 ground. This stem is cylindrical, but, internally, the fibres are 

 arranged in fasicles, and not in concentric circles, as with trees 

 generally. The centre is soft, while the circumference is firm arid 

 hard like horn. In these respects, the palms are analogous to other 

 monocotyledonous vegetables. This stem is covered externally with 

 the sheaths of the fallen leaves, or with their cicatrices, and is ter- 

 minated by a tuft of pinnate or flabelliform leaves. From the midst 

 of these arises a simple or branching spadix, on which the numerous 

 small flowers are disposed, and which at first is enveloped in one or 

 several spathse, or sheaths. Many of the palms appear to be confined 

 within narrow limits, and it has been remarked that, whenever a dis- 

 trict is characterized by striking peculiarities of soil or climate, it 

 appears to be inhabited by peculiar species. All the palms are not 

 strictly confined within the tropics, but a few inhabit the warm regions 

 on their borders. Five species are found in the United States ; of 

 these, the palmetto, or cabbage tree, extends along the Atlantic coast 

 as far as north latitude thirty-five degrees ; the others are dwarfs 

 and are confined to more southern latitudes. Among the more useful 

 of the palms may be mentioned the cocoa-nuj:, the sago and the 

 date. 



PARADISE, BIRD OF. The great beauty of this bird's plu- 

 mage, and the deformity of its legs, have been the means of giving 

 rise to a variety of fabulous tales. The savage inhabitants of the 

 Molucca Islands, of which the bird of paradise is a native, perceiving 

 the eagerness with which the Europeans purchased this favorite bird, 

 resolved to make it appear different from any other of the feathered 

 race ; and, by cutting off the legs with some degree of ingenuity, 

 asserted that it lived wholly in the air ; and this improbable invention 

 was actually believed. Of this bird there are two kinds, the most 

 common of which is about the size of a pigeon, and the other not 

 larger than a lark ; the head, throat, arid neck, are of a pale gold 

 color, though the hinder part of the former is of a shining green ; the 

 body and wings are a beautiful brown, intermixed with purple and 

 gold ; the upper part of the tail feathers are, a pale yellow, but the 

 under ones, which are longer, are a delicate white. Yet, what 

 chiefly excites the observation of the curious, are two long naked 

 feathers, which spring from the upper part of the back, near the tail ; 

 these feathers are usually three feet in length, bearded only at the 



