"I know of an odd tree. Park discov- effect. The whistling tree reminds me 



ered it in Africa and called it the 'butter of 'echo tree' at Blenheim. It is one 



tree' because it produced butter." of a fine old grove of cedars where sev- 



"Perhaps it is some relation to the enteen syllables can be heard by day 



'milk tree' of South America." and nineteen by night. Not far away is 



"Tell us about it," all cried in a chorus, the old oak, twenty-seven feet around, 



"The fruit is the size of a small apple, called 'Alfred's oak,' and there is a tra- 



but the milk is the great wonder. It is dition that Alfred the Great did really 



produced by making notches in the bark., live here." 



from which a liquid exudes as thick as "It isn't surprising," said Alice, that 



cream and with the same properties as 'echo tree' is a cedar, for the poets al- 



glue." ways like to write of what they call the 



" 'Milk' isn't a fair name, then, if it 'vocal pines.' " 

 won't make butter," said Edith, "but I've "Trees that can talk are very inter- 

 heard of the 'cow tree' in Venezuela esting, no doubt," said John, "especially 

 which gives a good milk of an agree- to the poets who fancy they hear them, 

 able smell and the people go at sunrise but just now I remember reading of a 

 with large bowls to get the milk for w^onderful tree recently discovered in 

 breakfast." California. It is called — till classified — 



"There is a 'manna tree' in Sicily the 'chloroform tree' because its strange, 

 which is tapped in August. The sap tarantula-shaped flowers have the prop- 

 flows out and hardens. It has a sweet erty of rendering anyone who handles 

 but nauseating taste," Aunt Jane con- them unconscious." 

 tinned. "Now if we only had a few blossoms," 



"I think I'd like the 'pin cushion cried Bird, mischievously, "to put John 



tree,* " cried Bird. to sleep so Auntie could go on with the 



"Indeed ! And what is that ?" queried story of her trees !" 

 Howard. . "We have time for only one more, and 



"Oh ! a sort of yucca palm that grows that is the 'candle tree.' It is a beauti- 



in southern United States and Mexico, ful Chinese tree w^hose nuts furnish a 



The Indians cut it down, saw it into material with the properties of animal 



small sections a few inches long, round tallow. This is subjected to certain pro- 



off the white pith inside, and sell them cesses and then made into candles, 

 for pin cushions." "It would be interesting to go on and 



"I've heard of that," said Aunt Jane, consider the profitable cork forests of 



"and that the pins and needles not only Spain which cover an area of 620,000 



stick into the pith easily but the spongy square miles, also to familiarize ourselves 



substance has the virtue to keep them with the groves of big trees in Cali- 



bright and clean. fornia, but we will end our tree talk with 



"I presume the boys would care more the question — Is there a verse in the 



for the whistling tree, however." Bible which forbids forest destruction?" 



"Indeed we would, go on. Aunt Jane." "Indeed there is," cried Alice, "we 



"It is found in the West Indian Islands read it in our Bible lesson recently. It 



and has a peculiar shaped leaf, and pods is Deuteronomy xx, 19 : 'When thou shalt 



with a split, or open edge. The wind besiege a city a long time thou shalt not 



passing through these sends out the destroy the trees thereof by forcing an 



sound which gives the tree its peculiar ax against them, and thou shalt not cut 



name. When the trade winds blow a them down, for the tree of the field is 



moaning, deep toned whistle is heard man's life.' " 

 which, at night especially, has a weird Belle Paxson Drury. 



109 



