COCOANUTS. THE HOG PLtM. THE SHADl^OCft. lOt 



huge, angry mountain wave hurls it, as if in anger, a seemingly 

 useless thing, high upon the land, where, when the fingers of 

 decay have sufficiently loosened the strings and hard envelopes 

 which have so securely confined and guarded it, the enclosed 

 life-germ sends down its little rootlets into the congenial soil, a 

 vigorous stem pushes up into the air and the sunshine, as if, like 

 a little Columbus, to learn Avhat sort of a new world it has finally 

 landed upon after its long sea voyage. From this little and un- 

 jiromising beginning, on many an ocean isle, the invaluable and 

 graceful cocoanut palm has multiplied and extended, and made 

 it possible for man to live and flourish in comparative idleness, 

 with few substantial wants that the cocoanut cannot abundantly 

 supply. 



Upon Mr. Charles Burnside's grounds we saw a "■ hog plumb " 

 tree with a plentiful supply o± small, green fruit in clusters upon 

 the branches — but not a leaf in sight. The juices are not in this 

 instance perfected in the leaves for the growth of the fruit. 



The shaddock was there with its large glossy leaves, and per- 

 fumed the air with its white blossoms. The misletoe had estab- 

 lished itself upon its branches, and, as if lineally descended from 

 the old Nassau pirates, flourished upon the rich sap it had done 

 nothing to eliminate. Both the shaddock and the grape fruit 

 belong with the orange, lime and lemon, to the citrus family. 

 The former is sometimes over two feet, and the grape fruit over 

 one foot in circumference. Almond trees, large and beautiful, 

 Avcrc just leafing out. Mr. Burnside showed us also, the '' For- 

 bidden Fruit" tree, and we would willingly have followed the 

 example of Adam and Eve, and tested the quality of its sweet 

 fruit, if we had bad an opportunity to do so, even at the risk of 

 being forever banished from the pleasant fruit garden where it 

 was growing. 



Gov. Rawson states in his report, that " The soil and climate 



