Melbourne Botanic Garden
5th May 1871
Sir
In reply to the question, asked by the hon. John O'Shanassy, C.M.G., in the Legislative Council, concerning a bean tree of the Argentine Republic,2 I have the honor to remark, that the Hymenaea Courbaril, specially referred to by the hon. gentleman, occurs in various parts of tropical America, particularly on the Orinoco, at Panama, in West India and Guiana, and was discovered by Marcgrav and Piso in the year 1648,3 the Brazilian name being Ietaiba, the Guiana name Simiri. In some other parts of America it is called by the natives "Courbaril", and it is one of the Algaroba trees of the Spanish and Portugese colonists in South America, namely the Algaroba of Carichana, while British settlers in the Antilles call it the West Indian Locust tree. A specimen of the young plant from the conservatory of the Botanic Garden is sent for inspection herewith.4 The tree is remarkable for its longevity and enormous size, some in the forests of Brazils are regarded over 2000 years old, the width of the stem with its buttresses measuring in some instances over 80 feet in girth, while the main stem measures occasionally 60 feet in circumference. The timber is hard, extremely ponderous and closegrained, for various structures valuable and even imported into Britain for select wheel work for treenails in planking vessels and for beams and planks of steam engines. A fragrant amber like resin, known as the West Indian Copal, often confused with the true Anime resin, is derived for varnishes of the most superior kind from this tree and some allied species of Hymenaea, all of tropical America; and I hope to obtain soon samples of this and various other sorts of Copal for the Industrial Museum. The beans of the pod are lodged in a mealy pulp of honey like taste, which pulp is used for food by the natives, and this remark applies to several other Hymenaeas of tropical America. Thus the name of Algaroba, originally applying only to the Carob-tree of South Europe, the κεφατιον of the Greeks, the Siliqua dulcis5 of the Romans, the Carob of the Arabs, now largely naturalized in South America also and well known for its sweetest pod, furnishing the St. John's Bread, was extended to the Hymenaeas and indeed also to various kinds of Prosopis.
No full work on the plants of the La Plata States being extant, it is impossible for me here at so wide a distance to say, whether the Hymenaea Courbaril extends so far south as Catamarca (Lat. 26-29° S.); but I am inclined to believe, that the Bean tree, referred to in the February number of the scientific journal "Nature" of this year,6 as the tree in question, is not a Hymenaea at all, but a species of the genus Prosopis, which genus furnishes several kinds of bean trees, about which Professor De Candolle offers the following remarks as regards their edible fruit-pulp: “La deuxiéme section, que je nomme Algarobia, est toute composée d'espèces américaines; plusieurs dans leurs pays portent le nom d'Algaroba, qui est aussi celui du Caroubier, et qui est determiné par l'analogie de forme, de saveur et d'usage de leurs fruits"7 (Memoires sur la famille des Légumineuses p. 430). I may instance Prosopis horrida, growing as well on the base of the Andes as on some of the sand shores of Peru; Prosopis julifera8 of Jamaica, Mexico and Ecuador; Prosopis Siliquastrum, furnishing the Chilian Algaroba, and probably it is this latter, which advances as an Algaroba-tree across the Andes into Catamarca, it being within Chilian territory known from Santiago (33° 20' S.) to the Rio Colorado (27° S.), the latter river indeed rising in the Argentine province Catamarca. Prosopis dulcis extends spontaneously or cultivated from Mexico to Buenos Ayres (Lat. 34° 30' S) into the Argentine Republic.
I have moreover received a few months ago from Dr. Hooker, C.B., of Kew seeds of a South American bean-tree, furnishing edible pods, which seeds are supposed to belong to a species of Prosopis, although no means of identifying the tree were available. These seeds were sown, but had not retained vitality. I enclose a sample of them, which shows, that they could not have been produced by Hymenaea Courbaril, the seeds of that Algaroba being many times larger and very turgid; indeed the seeds of Hymenaea Courbaril are nearly an inch long.
Having thus endeavoured to dispose of the phytographic aspect of the question, I have now the honor to point out, that not likely any part of the Victorian territory would be simultaneously humid and warm enough to cultivate Hymenaea Courbaril to advantage this tree being particularly suitable for Queensland; but it will be evident from the geographic notes just offered on Prosopis, that the bean tree of Catamarca, to which the hon. J. O'Shanassy specially alluded, if such should prove a Prosopis, may thrive in sheltered spots in the milder climatic tracts of Victoria. In reference to the actual value of this Argentine Algaroba for food, I have no means to offer from my own experience any opinion; but in as much as an important scientific journal — "Nature" vol III p. 313, 1871 February — bestows considerable praise on this plant as one eligible for food, I would certainly recommend, that it should be fairly tested in our colony. But, as pointed out in one of my official reports to Parliament, many plants from humid subtropical regions could only to advantage be grown in the mild sheltered fern gullies of our ranges, because they would obtain there the necessary irrigation from natural springs, rich soil, equable temperature and other conditions imperative for successful growth of such plants; and as indicated in former public documents of mine, it would be worthy of consideration, whether I might not obtain about half a hundred acres of land in a valley about Fernshaw,9 so that proper tests could be instituted on a multitude of plants, for which the soil, climate and exposure here at Melbourne is not favorable. The maintenance of a test-garden in the ranges need not be costly, as one man and 2 or 3 boys would do all the work needed, and the spot for it might be so chosen as to admit of my directing the work there by occasional visits, without being ever longer than a day from Melbourne. In such a place the Cinchona or Peru-bark trees could be tested, the Cork-oak would grow far quicker, the China and Assam Tea would yield a far more prolific harvest and thousands of different other plants, many of high value, would thrive, for which it is in vain to provide in the Botanic Garden an adequate place without resorting to protective covers. As test cultures for the benefit of the community are among the many real objects of a true botanic garden, I venture to submit my proposition to your favorable consideration. As regards the introduction of seeds of the Catamarca Algaroba no difficulty will be experienced. I am already in communication with Professor Dr. Lorentz10 of the University of Cordova, and with Don José Martinez de Hoz, President of the Sociedad Rural Argentina at Buenos Ayres, having effected already interchanges with the latter institution, through the mediation of the hon. Geo Verdon, C.B., the Agent General of Victoria.
I have the honor to be
Sir
Your very obedient servant
Ferd. von Mueller, M.D.,
Govt. Botanist & Director
of the Botan. Garden
The honorable Sir Jam. M'Culloch, M.L.A., Chief Secretary.
Cinchona
Hymenaea Courbaril
Prosopis dulcis
Prosopis horrida
Prosopis julifera
Prosopis Siliquastrum
On 9 May 1871, in the Legislative Council, O’Shanassy asked the Minister for Customs, T. T. a’Beckett,
if he had any objection to request the Government Botanist, Dr. Von Mueller, to furnish the Council with a report upon a tree known in the Province of Catamanca, Argentine Republic, as algaroba (hymenia courbaral faitaba); if he had not, would he be good enough to learn, by means of Dr. Mueller’s report, whether this tree can be easily acclimatized in Victoria, and retain therein its inestimably valuable properties, viz., a breadstuff exceedingly nutritious, and used almost exclusively as food for the people in the province of Catamanca and other portions of the Argentine Republic, as well as for fattening cattle; also if, in the event of a favorable report from Dr. Mueller, the Government would give effect to his recommendation? The honorable gentleman remarked that he was induced to ask these questions after having read, in some of the English scientific journals, that the attention of the Imperial Parliament had been called to the subject as a means of counterpoising the failure in turnip and other crops.
O’Shanassy had evidently given notice in advance of his intention to ask his question, because a’Beckett was able to reply immediately by reading M’s report, written several days earlier.
Please cite as “FVM-71-05-05,” in Correspondence of Ferdinand von Mueller, edited by R.W. Home, Thomas A. Darragh, A.M. Lucas, Sara Maroske, D.M. Sinkora†, J.H. Voigt† and Monika Wells accessed on 27 April 2024, https://epsilon.ac.uk/view/vonmueller/letters/71-05-05