Show A fireproof tree a government report from colombia appears the description of a tree krown biown as aa the chaparro which possesses the property of being ft fireproof reproof it grows crows on the vast plains of colombia and the north of south america called savannas extensive districts which are parched with heat except during the rainy season it has long been the custom to clear the ground tor for the new vegetation which springs up so BO luxuriantly on these plains after th the rainy season by means of fire and such finch fires miles in extent kindled by the herdsmen destroy everything in the shape of vegetation except the chaparro tree which survives to afford a welcome shade in an almost treeless region it is a small tree seldom growing to more than twenty feet in height with a girth of about three feet and it owes its protection from fire to the nature of its hard thick bark the bark lies on the trunk in loose layers which do not readily conduct heat to the more delicate parts of the structure it is a general idea among the natives that this tree grows only where gold is abundant in the soll soil below that it is common in auriferous districts dietric ts is indisputable but there is no ground for supposing that it does not grow elsewhere |