478 



MONTHLY JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE. 



THE BREAD-FRUIT TREE. 



The earliest account of the Bread-Fruit is by 

 Captain Dampier, in 1688. " The Bread -Fruit," 

 says this navigator, " grows on a large tree, as 

 big and high as our largest apple trees ; it hath 

 a spreading head, full of branches and dark 

 leaves. The fruit grows on the boughs like ap- 

 ples : it is as big as a penny loaf when wheat is 

 at five shillings the bushel ; it is of a round 

 shape, and hath a thick, tough rind. When the 

 fruit is ripe it is yellow and soft, and the ta.ste is 

 sweet and pleasant. The natives of Guam use 

 it for bread. They gather it when full-grown, 

 while it is green and hard ; then they bake it in 

 an oven which scorcheth the rind, and makeih 

 it black ; but they scrape off the outside black 

 crust, and there remains a tender tbiu crust : 



'S<>1i 



and the inside is soft, tender and white, like the 

 crumb of a penny loaf. There is neither seed 

 nor slotie in the inside, but all of a pure sub- 

 stance, like bread. It must be eaten new, for 

 if it be kept above twenty-four hours, it grows 

 harsh and choky, but it is very pleasant before 

 it is too stale. This fruit lasts in season eight 

 -months in the year, during which the natives 

 eat no other sort of bread kind. I did never 

 see of this fruit anywhere but here. The na- 

 tives told us that there is plenty of this fruit 

 growing on the rest of the Ladrone Lslands; 

 and I did never hear of it anywhere else." 



The scientific men who accompanied Captain 

 Cook in his voyages, came home with the most 

 enthusiastic ideas of the Bread-Fruit. Dr. So- 



riPitrh?}!. 



[F,re;id-Fr 



lander calls it " the most useful vegetable in the 

 world " and urges that no expense should be 

 spared in its cultivation. The mere idea_ of 

 bread, the most valuable food of man, growing 

 spontaneously, was doubtless calculated to ex- 

 cite attention — almo.st, perhaps, as strongly as 

 the subsequent description of the poet: 

 The Bread-Tree, which, without the plowehare, yields 

 The unreaped harvest of unfuiTOwed tields, 

 /tnd bakes its unadulterated loaves 

 Without a furnace in unpurchased groves, 

 (1002) 



uit Tree.) 

 And Hings off famine from its fertile brcasf, 

 A priceless market for the gathering guest. Byron. 

 But, after all, the Bread-Fruit Tree has not, 

 hitherto at least, answered the expectations that 

 were entertained. The Banana is more easily 

 and cheaply cultivated, comes into bearing 

 much sooner after being planted, bears more 

 abundant! v. and is better relished by the ne- 

 groes. The mode of propagating the Bread- 

 Fruit is not, indeed, difficult ; for the planter has 

 only to lay bare one of the roots, and mound it 



