T H E CUB A REVIEW 15 



for the same reason. It must not be confused, however, with the coral tree {Erythrina 

 corallodendron) , so called on account of the color of its flowers. The redwood has a 

 great variety of common names, such as barricarri in India; zangavasa in Gaboon: 

 'palo de peronias or coralitos in Porto Rico; coralillo in Cuba, and in English it is variously 

 called bead tree, yellow flowered adenanthera, coral-pea tree, Barbadoes pride, bastard 

 flower fence, false jequirity, lady coot, peacock flower fence, and red sandal wood. The 

 French call it hois de corail, hois noir de Bourbon and hois noir rouge. In the general 

 trade the wood is known as caliaturholz, condoriholz, and korallenholz. 



The tree attains a height of from 60 to 100 feet, according to soil and climate, with 

 a diameter ranging from one to three feet. The trunk is usually straight, often rising 

 clear from the ground for 20 to 50 feet before it divides into nearly horizontal branches. 

 Under favorable conditions the tree attains considerable dimensions. It is a large, 

 handsome, unarmed deciduous tree well suited for planting in avenues, as the large 

 compound lea es afford dense shade. 



The sapwood is gray and usually thin, the heart-wood, which is at first yellow, soon 

 changes to a fine, deep red or superb coral, is hard, solid, durable and very strong, suit- 

 able for house-building and for the cabinetmaker's use. In the West Indies it is con- 

 verted into beams and boards for general carpentry work and frequently for turnery. 

 The wood takes a splendid polish. Its chief use is for making a dye in the same way 

 as the red sandalwood, which, in the far East is employed by the Brahmins for mak- 

 ing the sectarian marks on their foreheads. A red, yellowish or brownish coloring 

 matter is obtained from the heart-wood by simply rubbing it on a whetstone. The 

 wood is consumed largely in the region of its growth; when it is exported from India 

 it is generally shipped as red sanders wood and is used for the same purposes. This 

 substitution is, however, not very common, since redwood grows farther north in India 

 and red sandalwood is shipped usually from south India. Redwood resembles cam- 

 wood more than it does red sandalwood. 



Not onh^ is the heart- wood used, but the bark of the roots is very rich in coloring 

 matter. Even the seeds possess considerable interest in that they have highly polished 

 scarlet-colored surfaces with a circular streak near the middle on each side. They are 

 employed as beads in bracelets, necklaces, etc., and as weights by jewelers like the seeds 

 of the John Crow bead tree {Abrus precatorius L.). On an average these seeds weigh 

 about four grams and are used by the Burmese for that weight. Many, however, 

 do not weigh more than two or three grams each. A valuable cement is made by pow- 

 dering the seeds and mixing the powder with borax and water. The seeds contain consid- 

 erable starch, which, in the powdered condition, is sometimes used as an article of food. 



The Ramon Tree as a Source of Fodder 



Among the many important trees of Cuba and other parts of the West Indies, 

 is the Ramon de caballos, or Ramon de bestias. These names indicate that it is the tree- 

 producing twigs and leaves for the horse (caballo) and the beast (bestia). In the lan- 

 guage of the botanist it is known as Trophis racemosa or Trophis Americana. In manj' 

 respects it resembles the important tree of the Spanish Main, which is well known to 

 the cattlemen as ojoche {Helicostylis ojoche). Both of these trees are closely related to 

 the cow-tree or palo de vaca of South America, and form part of an important group 

 of plants noted for their milky-juiced leaves and bark so nourishing to cattle. 



The ramon is not a timber tree of any great importance, but it has long been recog- 

 nized as a source of valuable fodder for cattle, horses and sheep during the dry season 

 of the year, when other fodder is scarce. In many parts of Cuba and southern Mexico 

 the most fertile pastures during the rainy season are converted into places of desolation 

 and barrenness after the dry season sets m. During the months of January', Februarj', 

 and March in many places on the West coast of Central America certain areas for many 



