Árdís - 01.01.1956, Page 19

Ársrit Bandalags lúterskra kvenna
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beneath it almost as well as in the open. It loses its leaves only
for a short period. Many of the finest stands of Saman trees, par-
ticularly in Venezuela, were originally planted as coffee shade. It
has been given countless names, such as rain tree and cow tree.
Rain tree because of its leaves folding at night and permitting rain
to filter through to the ground below; cow tree, because of its large
pods (leguminosae) that are relished by cattle. The wood is ex-
cellent for furniture as termites won’t come near it. To its massive-
ness it has added beauty; wild orchids, hanging vines and other
parasitic plants grow on the debris that has collected over a period
of years on the branches. This growth apparently does not harm
the tree and besides the owner claims it would be too dangerous to
have it removed and too expensive. What a sight this huge tree
must be when all the orchids are in bloom!
Our last long trip was to Spring Hill Estate, to visit its owner,
Mrs. Asa Newcombe Wright. We found Mrs. Wright to be a very
fascinating person and I’d say as rare as the oil bird that nests in
the cave below her house! The Spring Hill is an estate of some 200
acres; cocoa is the main crop, but also coffee and citrus fruits.
It was once a prosperous cocoa estate but like so many others,
due to lean years, poor markets and other contributing factors, the
plantation had not been tended for many years nor the house
occupied except by an Indian caretaker until 1945, when Mrs.
Wright and the late Dr. Wright moved there and made it live again.
During the intervening years of desertion the old commodious
plantation house provided quarters for scientists in their study of
snakes and bats. And although, now they are not so numerous,
snake-hunters still visit the estate and Mrs. Wright is their hostess.
The Estate lies in the Northern Range of Trinidad, 1200 feet
and more in elevation. In this range and directly back of the planta-
tion is the Morne Bleu Mountain, 2800 feet above sea level and is
the fourth highest mountain in Trinidad. This luxuriant jungle
area has scarcely been mapped and certainly is over-run with wild
life of all kinds.
Knowing that Spring Hill is a naturalist’s paradise in the studv
of wild life, especially the birds, bats and snakes, the late Dr.
Wright built a fine lookout as an extension of the verandah in front
of the house. From this vantage point one gets a magnificent view
of the valley of the Arima River and surrounding countryside. By