THE TROPICAL ZONE. &) 



a week, and they are eaten either fresh or dried. 

 A single cluster of bananas, produced upon a 

 single plant, often contains from one hundred 

 and sixty to one hundred and eighty fruits, 

 weighing altogether from seventy to eighty 

 pounds. Yet this facility with which food can 

 be procured has doubtless contributed to retard 

 the progress of improvement in tropical regions, 

 while the necessity of the European has called 

 forth his industry ; and that, under his colder 

 skies and less fertile soil, has surrounded him 

 with all the blessings of society, its comforts, 

 its affections, and its intellectual riches. 



The taro plant (Colocasia macrorhiza, 01 

 Arum esculentum of former botanists,) is one of 

 the most valuable of the productions of the 

 South Sea Islands. It belongs to the arum 

 tribe, and is cultivated for the sake of its roots, 

 which afford an excellent and nutritious food, 

 and are eaten either roasted or boiled. They 

 require a low and wet ground, abundantly sup- 

 plied with water, and are planted a yard apart, 

 to allow full room for the growth of their 

 tubers. They are fit for use in six months 

 after being planted, but are much improved by 

 being permitted to remain in the ground a year. 

 In that portion of China which lies in this zone, 

 the Chinese pine forms woods as extensive as 

 the common pine with us and in the north of 

 Europe, and contrasts strikingly with the airy 

 groves of the bamboos and arborescent grasses. 

 In Madagascar Tanghmia venenifera occurs, 

 which is one of the most active and virulent 

 8 



