tretched a little, and that was all.

But if King Charles was astonished to learn that neckties grew on trees
in Jamaica, what must have been the feelings of a stranger traveling in
Central America, on being told that mosquito-nets grew on trees in that
country? He had complained to his host that the mosquitoes had nearly
eaten him up the night before, and had been told in response that he
should have a new netting put over his bed.

Satisfied with this statement, the traveler was turning away, but his
attention was arrested by his host's calmly continuing, "in fact, we are
going to strip a tree anyhow, because there is to be a wedding on the
estate, and we wish to have a dress ready for the bride."

[Illustration: KING CHARLES'S VEGETABLE NECKTIE.]

"You don't mean," said the traveler incredulously, "that
mosquito-netting and bridal dresses grow on trees, do you?"

"That is just what I mean," replied his host.

"All right," said the stranger, who fancied a joke was being attempted
at his expense, "let me see you gather the fruit and I will believe
you."

"Certainly," was the answer; "follow the men, and you will see that I
speak the exact truth."

Still looking for some jest, the stranger followed the two men who were
to pluck the singular fruit, and stood by when they stopped at a rather
small tree, bearing thick, glossy-green leaves, but nothing else which
the utmost effort of the imagination could convert into the netting or
the wedding garments. The tree was about twenty feet high and six inches
in diameter, and its bark looked much like that of a birch-tree.

"Is this the tree?" asked the stranger.

"Yes, senor," answered one of the men, with a smile.

"I don't see the mosquito-netting nor the wedding-dress," said the
stranger, "and I can't see any joke either."

"If the senor will wait a few minutes he will see all that was promised,
and more too," was the reply. "He will see that this tree can bear not
only mosquito-netting and wedding-dresses, but fish-nets and
neck-scarfs, mourning crape or bridal veils."

The tree was without more ado cut down. Three strips of bark, each about
six inches wide and eight feet long, were taken from the trunk and
thrown into a stream of water. Then each man took a strip while it was
still in the water, and with the point of his knife separated a thin
layer of the inner bark from one end of the strip. This layer was then
taken in the fingers and gently pulled, where