THE BROWNIA 43 



shell ; so hard that we never can use the produce 

 of our own trees on account of no one having the 

 time to crack open the nuts. The kernel has a 

 very sweet flavour. It is a most curious shape, like 

 an inch square of white paper rolled tightly from 

 one corner to the opposite one, into a cylinder. 

 One unrolls it, trying to stretch it out flat, but it 

 never can be done ; it is so brittle that it breaks off 

 instead, and it remains a mystery how it could have 

 grown so perfectly rolled together, without adher- 

 ing to the other folds. 



The tree of all trees that would appeal to you, 

 would be the Brownia; a handsome one enough 

 without any flowers; but when twice a year, it 

 flings out opulent masses of red and yellow blossoms 

 as large as rhododendrons, it is a wonderful sight 

 to see. Not only the branches are loaded, but the 

 bark of the trunk itself bursts out in magnificent 

 heads of colour ; too large to be of any use on the 

 dinner - table though, and much too powerfully 

 scented. This tree has two seasons. It really is, 

 when you come to think of it, very like some of us 

 humans who also have two seasons ; one here and 

 another in the hills. The trees do not have the 



