Bible Trees- FIG Medicinal Uses

 By Liliana Usvat   Blog 320-365

The very first tree mentioned by name is the FIG. Adam and Eve used fig leaves as clothing when they became ashamed of their nakedness (Gen. 3:7). Later, the prophets understood the fig as a symbol of peace. When Micah spoke of the great day of peace, he declared, "They shall beat their swords into plowshares... neither shall they learn war anymore; but they shall sit every man under his vine and fig tree" 

History

Figs can trace their history back to the earliest of times with mentions in the Bible and other ancient writings. They are thought to have been first cultivated in Egypt. They spread to ancient Crete and then subsequently, around the 9th century BC, to ancient Greece, where they became a staple foodstuff in the traditional diet. 

Figs were held in such esteem by the Greeks that they created laws forbidding the export of the best quality figs. Figs were also revered in ancient Rome where they were thought of as a sacred fruit. According to Roman myth, the wolf that nurtured the twin founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus, rested under a fig tree. During this period of history, at least 29 varieties of figs were already known. 
 
Figs were later introduced to other regions of the Mediterranean by ancient conquerors and then brought to the Western Hemisphere by the Spaniards in the early 16th century. In the late 19th century, when Spanish missionaries established the mission in San Diego, California, they also planted fig trees. 

These figs turned out to be inferior in quality to those that were imported from Europe, and it wasn't until the development of further cultivation techniques in the early 20th century that California began focused cultivation and processing of figs. Today, California remains one of the largest producers of figs in addition to Turkey, Greece, Portugal and Spain.

 
Medicinal Uses

Fresh or dried, fig is a great fruit to relieve toothache, treat digestive problems, and even strengthen the nails. This article will cover all the ways to eat and drink this natural medicine.
 

• People who suffer from iron deficiency (anemia) should eat at least one fig a day.
• Figs are a good source of potassium, a mineral that helps to control blood pressure.
• Figs are also recommended for people who suffer from digestive problems, as they improve the digestive system, moisten the colon and help emptying it. It is recommended to soak figs in water for several hours, and then drink the water and eat the fruit. 
• Dried figs are suitable for treating gastric ulcers and heartburn. In addition, figs are rich in certain protein that makes them a natural laxative that treat constipation and digestive difficulties arising from lack of fluids, and helps clean the intestines and treat hemorrhoids and dysentery.
• Figs are used to get rid of toxins, and are considered as one of the foods with the most alkaline pH, and therefore they balance the acidic conditions resulting from consuming a diet rich in meat and processed foods.
• It is recommended for women to consume figs, mostly dry figs, for strengthening the nails. This is because figs are very rich in calcium.
• Fresh figs are especially good for people suffering from cuts, lip sores, or sores in the tongue and mouth. In these situations figs are great for internal use and should be spread on the affected areas
• Figs are especially beneficial to treat warts. The milk (sap) of unripe figs contain anti viral properties, so applying it on the warts twice a day helps to cure them. It is recommended to drip the milk on the root of the exposed wart.
• Drinking figs brew helps relieve dry cough, asthma and sore throat, and helps in cases of excess mucus. Cook a fig or two with half a cup of water for a few minutes, and drink the liquid several times a day
• To improve gingivitis brew 6-7  figs with a cup of boiling water, soak the figs for three days, filter, gargle and swallow the liquid. The recommended dosage is one tablespoon, five times a day. The fig is also suitable for relieving toothache by rubbing a fresh fig on the gums.
• For treating eye infections dilute fig milk with water and apply on the inflamed eye by a gauze bandage
• Figs are a good source of dietary fiber. Fiber and fiber-rich foods may have a positive effect on weight management.
• Fig leaves are a common part of the menu, and for good reason. The leaves of the fig have repeatedly been shown to have antidiabetic properties and can actually reduce the amount of insulin needed by persons with diabetes who require insulin injections. In one study, a liquid extract made from fig leaves was simply added to the breakfast of insulin-dependent diabetic subjects in order to produce this insulin-lowering effect. 

 

 

Legends, Myths and Stories

From the Far East to Africa and the Mediterranean, the fig was an important food and a sacred tree to many ancient peoples. The tree is still sacred in India, China, and Japan because under it the monk Gautama received his divine illumination and thus became the Buddha. 

The Moslems call the fig the “Tree of Heaven” and revere it because Mohammed swore by it. And the fig played a significant part in the life of the early Hebrew people, as many biblical references show. 

The discovery of a fig-harvesting scene on the wall of an Egyptian tomb dated about 1900 to 1700 BC indicates that the fruit was also important to the ancient Egyptians. Sacred to the Greeks and Romans, the fig was said to be a gift to the people from the Greek god of wine and agriculture, Dionysus, the fig was included along with the phallus as a fertility symbol. 

This association is the origin of its sexual symbolism, which survives even today in certain vulgar expressions and gestures.

The fig tree also had a part in the founding of Rome. According to legend, Rome was built at the spot where a fig tree caught Romulus and Remus as they floated down the river Tiber in a basket.

The ancients claimed that if you tied a mad bull to a fig tree he would quickly become tame and gentle. Also, the claim is that, like the bay tree, the fig tree is never hurt by lightning.

 Biliography

• Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, et al. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. DASH Collaborative Research Group. N Engl J Med. 1997 Apr 17;336(16):1117-24. 1997.
• Canal JR, Torres MD, Romero A, Perez C. A chloroform extract obtained from a decoction of Ficus carica leaves improves the cholesterolaemic status of rats with streptozotocin- induced diabetes. Acta Physiol Hung 2000;87(1):71-6. 2000. PMID:13400.
• Cho E, Seddon JM, Rosner B, Willett WC, Hankinson SE. Prospective study of intake of fruits, vegetables, vitamins, and carotenoids and risk of age-related maculopathy. Arch Ophthalmol. 2004 Jun;122(6):883-92. 2004. PMID:15197064.
• de Amorin A, Borba HR, Carauta JP, et al. Anthelmintic activity of the latex of Ficus species. J Ethnopharmacol 1999 Mar;64(3):255-8. 1999. PMID:13410.

Gliricidia Sepium and Faidherbia Albida Medicinal Uses and Soil fixing Trees

By Liliana Usvat  
Blog 319-365

 Some farmers are adding trees as ‘dispersed shade’ to their Conservation Agriculture. The trees’ light shade reduces the excessive midday heat that decreases crop productivity in the lowland tropics. Trees are also extremely drought resistant because of their deep root systems; the fertilizing leaves are out of reach of free-grazing animals; trees preserve moisture in the soil through lowered soil surface temperatures and reduced wind velocity; and they can provide firewood and fodder. Furthermore, as climate change occurs, farmers can merely cut fewer branches off their trees, so the crops underneath will continue to enjoy optimum ambient temperatures. Two important species from tropical America and dryland Africa, respectively, are Gliricidia sepium and Faidherbia albida.

 Gliricidia sepium

 Other Names

• Cacao de nance, cacahnanance -- Honduras
• Kakawate -- Philippines
• Mata Raton
• Madre Cacao -- Guatemala
• Madriado -- Honduras

Gliricidia sepium is a medium-sized tree and can grow to from 10 to 12 meters high. The bark is smooth and its color can range from a whitish gray to deep red-brown. It has composite leaves that can be 30 cm long. Each leaf is composed of leaflets that are about 2 to 7 cm long and 1 to 3 cm wide. The flowers are located on the end of branches that have no leaves. These flowers have a bright pink to lilac color that is tinged with white.
 
A pale yellow spot is usually at the flower's base. The tree's fruit is a pod which is about 10 to 15 cm in length. It is green when unripe and becomes yellow-brown when it reaches maturity. The pod produces 4 to 10 round brown seeds . The tree grows well in acidic soils with a pH of 4.5-6.2. The tree is found on volcanic soils in its native range in Central America and Mexico. However, it can also grow on sandy, clay and limestone soils.

Medicinal Uses

In the Philippines, gliricidia is washed and pounded to extract the juice from the leaves. It is then applied to the area affected by external parasites once to twice a day for one week. In Guatemala, the bark and leaves of gliricidia are used to treat human skin diseases. 

In another study, gliricidia was found to inhibit the growth of various strains of Neisseria gonorrhoea in in vitro tests. Tinctures made from the leaves were used for these tests.
Some Uses in Humans:

• Briuse
• Burn -- Panama
• Cold, cough -- Curacao
• Debility
• Expectora
• Headache
• nt -- Curacao
• Fatigue
• Fever -- Panama
• Gangrene -- Guatemala
• Gonorrhoea -- Guatemala
• Insecticide
• Insect repellent -- Curacao, Guatemala, and Honduras
• Itch, skin, sores -- Curacao, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama
• Poison (Humans and animals) -- Panama and Venezuela
• Rodenticide (rats) -- Guatemala, Honduras, Panama, El Salvador, Venezuela
• Shade tree (for other crops) -- Sri Lanka
• Sedative -- Curacao
• Tumor -- Guatemala
• Ulcer -- Guatemala

Uses

Gliricidia is used by farmers in some Latin American countries to repel insects. The leaves are ground up and combined with water. The animal is then bathed with the resulting paste. According to some of the farmers, if this is repeated every 7-14 days, the number of torsalo (tropical warble fly) infections is decreased.

Faidherbia Albida

The leaves of the Faidherbia albida tree are rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and other nutrients. Plants that grow beneath the trees benefit from their annual leaf fall, which fertilises the soil and counteracts soil acidity. In Zambia, the Conservation Farming Unit is encouraging farmers to plant 100 of the trees per hectare, at 10 metre intervals, as a long term means of boosting soil fertility. Over 160,000 farmers have already begun to do so.


The origin of Faidherbia albida is unclear. It has been postulated that it originated in the Sahara before desertification, but also that it was originally a riverine tree of eastern and southern Africa that was introduced through pastoralism and agriculture into western Africa, where it is only found on cultivated or previously cultivated land. It has long been preserved and protected on croplands by African farmers. However, this practice has become much less common in recent years.  

Faidherbia albida occurs all across the African continent, encircling the central African forest massif, from the Atlantic coast (Senegal, Gambia) to the Red Sea (Egypt, Sudan, Eritrea and Somalia) and from there to South Africa, Lesotho, Namibia and Angola. Its northern limit is not well defined because it occurs along watercourses and in areas where groundwater is present (e.g. in south-western Morocco, mountain massifs in the Sahara, and along the Nile in Egypt).

 Elsewhere, Faidherbia albida occurs in Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Iran, and has been introduced into Ascension Island, the Cape Verde Islands, Cyprus, India, Pakistan and Peru.

Medicinal Uses Faidherbia albida
 

• Bark and roots, alone or mixed with other components, are common ingredients of traditional medicinal preparations for external or internal usage. These preparations are prescribed for respiratory infections, 
• sterility, 
• digestive problems, 
• dysentery, 
• backache, 
• malaria, 
•  fever, 
• heart and circulatory problems, 
• dental infections and deafness.

Other Uses - Faidherbia albida

 The bark is also used for making beehives, for stuffing saddles and in hut construction. Soap is made from the wood ash, which also has depilatory action. Pods can be used as fish bait. Seeds are eaten during famine but require long and elaborate preparation. Faidherbia albida has religious significance amongst some tribes, e.g. as a graveyard tree.

THE CONSCIOUSNESS OF TREES

By Liliana Usvat  
Blog 319-365


Professor Suzanne Simard shows that all trees in a forest ecosystem are interconnected, with the largest, oldest, "mother trees" serving as hubs. The underground exchange of nutrients increases the survival of younger trees linked into the network of old trees.

Sad to think that it took how many dollars and years for "establishment" to dig up earth and make it "a scientific discovery" to show something old time indigenous people's all over the world already knew - those who see with hearts know.

Sir Jagadish Chandra Bose is one of the most prominent first Indian scientists who proved by experimentation that both animals and plants share much in common. He demonstrated that plants are also sensitive to heat, cold, light, noise and various other external stimuli. Bose contrived a very sophisticated instrument called Crescograph which could record and observe the minute responses because of external stimulants. It was capable of magnifying the motion of plant tissues to about 10,000 times of their actual size, which found many similarities between plants and other living organisms

Bose chose a plant whose mots were cautiously dipped up to its stem in a vessel holding the bromide solution. The salts of hydrobromic acid are considered a poison. He plugged in the instrument with the plant and viewed the lighted spot on a screen showing the movements of the plant, as its pulse beat, and the spot began to and fro movement similar to a pendulum. Within minutes, the spot vibrated in a violent manner and finally came to an abrupt stop. The whole thing was almost like a poisoned rat fighting against death. The plant had died due to the exposure to the poisonous bromide solution.

Like us, plants possess receptors, microtubules and sophisticated intercellular systems that likely facilitate a degree of spatio-temporal consciousness. Instead of generating a pattern of colors, the particles of light bouncing off a plant produce a pattern of energy molecules -- sugar -- in the chlorophyll in its stems and leaves. Light-stimulating chemical reactions in one leaf cause a chain reaction of signals to the entire organism via vascular bundles.  


Neurobiologists have discovered that plants also have rudimentary neural nets and the capacity for primary perceptions. Indeed, the sundew plant (Drosera) will grasp at a fly with incredible accuracy -- much better than you can do a fly-swatter. Some plants even know when ants are coming towards them to steal their nectar and have mechanisms to close up when they approach. Scientists at Cornell University discovered that when a hornworm starts eating sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), the wounded plant will send out a blast of scent that warns surrounding plants -- in the case of the study, wild tobacco (Nicotiana attenuata) −- that trouble is on its way. Those plants, in turn, prepare chemical defenses that send the hungry critters in the opposite direction. Andre Kessler, the lead researcher, called this "priming its defense response." "This could be a crucial mechanism of plant-plant communication," he said.

"The sound of the trees suffering is audible. But we need to develop new organs of perception so that we can hear this sound in the world, recognise what it means and shape new social forms that do not continue this great suffering of all nature." 

"At the heart of today's ecological crisis lies a terrible failure to understand the essence of our relationship with the natural world. One can of course address that failure rationally and empirically; but the arts (particularly the visual arts) offer different insights into that relationship, and touch people in ways that conventional education and advocacy can rarely do." Jonathon Porritt, Director, Forum for the Future, UK. 

We have no idea how consciousness emerges from the physical activity of the brain and we do not know whether consciousness can emerge from non-biological systems, such as computers… At this point the reader will expect to find a careful and precise definition of consciousness. You will be disappointed. Consciousness has not yet become a scientific term that can be defined in this way. Currently we all use the term consciousness in many different and often ambiguous ways.

 

Links

http://www.universityofthetrees.org/about/instruments-of-consciousness.html

http://realitysandwich.com/170176/plant_consciousness/

 

Forest Statistics

By Liliana Usvat  
Blog 318-365

New, high-resolution satellite-based maps released today by the University of Maryland and Google on Global Forest Watch, a partnership of over 60 organizations convened by the World Resources Institute, reveal a significant recent surge in tree cover loss largely in Russia and Canada during 2013.

Global tree cover loss in 2013 continued to be high at over 18 million hectares (69,500 square miles)—about twice the size of Portugal—slightly lower than 2012, but a troubling 5.2 percent increase over the 2000-2012 average. In 2011-2013, Russia and Canada topped the list , jointly accounting for 34 percent of total loss. 

Tree cover loss is a measure of the total loss of all trees within a specific area regardless of the cause. It includes human-driven deforestation, forest fires both natural and man made, clearing trees for agriculture, logging, plantation harvesting, and tree mortality due to disease and other natural causes.


Brazil

According to the government, deforestation rose 28 percent in 2013 compared to the year before. Who’s behind the turnaround? Most of the usual culprits: farmers, ranchers, loggers and the officials who turn a blind eye to illegal logging. And now there may be a new threat: the looming end of a global suspension on buying and selling soybeans planted on newly cleared forestland.

Canada

93% of Canada's forest land is crown owned, facilities for harvesting and processing wood are held mainly in private ownership. Since the earliest days of land settlement, the transfer of harvesting rights and forest management responsibilities from the public to the private sectors-while ensuring that public resource management and development objectives are achieved-has been one of the foremost policy questions facing governments in Canada. 

Much of Canada’s logging activity occurs on Crown (often referred to as “public”) land and is regulated by various provincial commercial forest tenure systems that allocate cutting rights to and confer obligations on recipients of the tenures. It is these tenure systems on Crown forest land that are the focus of this data product.

The various agreements that have been devised to accomplish this task have become collectively known as forest tenures (Haley and Luckert 1990). Forest tenures, along with forest legislation and regulations, help Canada's jurisdictions ensure that crown forests are managed responsibly and that forest companies remain accountable to Canadians.

Sixty-three percent of the crown forest land in Canada that is under some form of tenure is under volume-based agreements (Table 5.2a). The rest is under long-term area agreements. Ontario, New Brunswick, and Newfoundland and Labrador use area-based tenure agreements, while Manitoba, Quebec, the Yukon, and the Northwest Territories use volume-based agreements. British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Nova Scotia use both area- and volume-based tenure agreements.

China now accounts for more than half of North America’s lumber exports, an amount of wood equivalent to 300,000 housing starts in the U.S. China also now consumes 30% of the world’s pulp


New Trend Power Plants Fueled by Wood Porducts

There is a new trend to use lumber products in power plants as combustible.  
The global bioenergy boom is driven by a surge of interest in biological materials – or biomass – to produce heat, electricity and fuels. In a world of declining fossil fuel deposits and rising fuel prices, industries and governments are hastily switching back to an ancient source of energy: trees.

 In Canada, forest bioenergy once referred to a sensible, small-scale and local solution to produce heat and power by using mill and pulp residues at the plant. This is no longer the case.
 
Now, the sector is rapidly developing into large-scale, industrial use of natural forests for energy. This is due to new government biomass extraction policies and subsidies. Without public hearings, exhaustive science or adequate environmental standards in place, provincial governments have allocated large volumes of biomass from publicly owned forests to be burnt, thereby radically
changing the way forests are used in Canada. 

This is turning to ash sustainable job opportunities, threatening the greening of the forest sector and the value- added product trend that has been emerging in recent years.

 New power plants are springing up, while others are being converted from coal to pellets. For example, the Tilbury plant (UK-RWEnpower) will be converted to burn wood pellets and according to an independent estimate, will burn nearly 7 million tonnes of per year 19. The company RWE have suggested that less than2 million tones per year would be burnt , but under any circumstances, they will become one of the world’s largest pellet power plant, importing wood pellet

The top 20 Canadian companies increased their market share of total Canadian lumber shipments, rising from 79.8% in 2012 to 80.5% in 2013. Canfor retained its leading position as the top Canadian lumber producer with 4.2 billion bf of production - a 9% gain over 2012. West Fraser held onto the number two spot with 3.6 billion bf of output (+3%). Tolko and Resolute Forest Products remained in the number three and four spots, while Interfor leaped into the number five spot from production gains at its B.C. Interior SPF mills. Together, these five firms produced a total of 12.1 billion bf (51% of Canadian lumber shipments - similar to in 2012). B.C. Interior sawmills continued to struggle with processing dead logs from mountain pine beetle-killed timber (West Fraser and Canfor both announced mill closures for the first half of 2014).
The output of the top 20 U.S. companies rose strongly: from 16.6 billion bf in 2012 to 17.9 billion bf (+8.2%) in 2013. In doing so, these firms increased their market share of U.S. production from 58% to 60%. The five largest producing U.S. companies, Weyerhaeuser, Sierra Pacific, Georgia-Pacific, West Fraser (U.S. operations), and Hampton Affiliates, produced almost 10.0 billion bf or 33% of total U.S. production. Of note, all regions in the U.S. recorded production increases in 2013, with the U.S. West leading the surge in output with a gain of 6.1%; the U.S. South increased 5.1%.
- See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/sawmilling/top-20-lumber-producers#sthash.AABY9x0z.dpuf

The top 20 Canadian companies increased their market share of total Canadian lumber shipments, rising from 79.8% in 2012 to 80.5% in 2013. Canfor retained its leading position as the top Canadian lumber producer with 4.2 billion bf of production - a 9% gain over 2012. West Fraser held onto the number two spot with 3.6 billion bf of output (+3%). Tolko and Resolute Forest Products remained in the number three and four spots, while Interfor leaped into the number five spot from production gains at its B.C. Interior SPF mills. Together, these five firms produced a total of 12.1 billion bf (51% of Canadian lumber shipments - similar to in 2012). B.C. Interior sawmills continued to struggle with processing dead logs from mountain pine beetle-killed timber (West Fraser and Canfor both announced mill closures for the first half of 2014).
The output of the top 20 U.S. companies rose strongly: from 16.6 billion bf in 2012 to 17.9 billion bf (+8.2%) in 2013. In doing so, these firms increased their market share of U.S. production from 58% to 60%. The five largest producing U.S. companies, Weyerhaeuser, Sierra Pacific, Georgia-Pacific, West Fraser (U.S. operations), and Hampton Affiliates, produced almost 10.0 billion bf or 33% of total U.S. production. Of note, all regions in the U.S. recorded production increases in 2013, with the U.S. West leading the surge in output with a gain of 6.1%; the U.S. South increased 5.1%.
- See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/sawmilling/top-20-lumber-producers#sthash.AABY9x0z.dpuf

The top 20 Canadian companies increased their market share of total Canadian lumber shipments, rising from 79.8% in 2012 to 80.5% in 2013. Canfor retained its leading position as the top Canadian lumber producer with 4.2 billion bf of production - a 9% gain over 2012. West Fraser held onto the number two spot with 3.6 billion bf of output (+3%). Tolko and Resolute Forest Products remained in the number three and four spots, while Interfor leaped into the number five spot from production gains at its B.C. Interior SPF mills. Together, these five firms produced a total of 12.1 billion bf (51% of Canadian lumber shipments - similar to in 2012). B.C. Interior sawmills continued to struggle with processing dead logs from mountain pine beetle-killed timber (West Fraser and Canfor both announced mill closures for the first half of 2014).
The output of the top 20 U.S. companies rose strongly: from 16.6 billion bf in 2012 to 17.9 billion bf (+8.2%) in 2013. In doing so, these firms increased their market share of U.S. production from 58% to 60%. The five largest producing U.S. companies, Weyerhaeuser, Sierra Pacific, Georgia-Pacific, West Fraser (U.S. operations), and Hampton Affiliates, produced almost 10.0 billion bf or 33% of total U.S. production. Of note, all regions in the U.S. recorded production increases in 2013, with the U.S. West leading the surge in output with a gain of 6.1%; the U.S. South increased 5.1%.
- See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/sawmilling/top-20-lumber-producers#sthash.AABY9x0z.dpuf

Links

• http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013
• http://www.wri.org/blog/2015/04/tree-cover-loss-spikes-russia-and-canada-remains-high-globally
• http://www.ccfm.org/ci/rprt2005/English/etpg100-101.htm
• http://www.ccfm.org/ci/rprt2005/English/pg89-115_5-2-1.htm
• http://gis-gfw.wri.org/arcgis/rest/services/forest_use/logging/MapServer/2
• http://business.financialpost.com/investing/why-canadian-lumber-stocks-are-growing-again 
• http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/Global/canada/report/2011/10/ForestBiomess_Eng.pdf

New data show Russia and Canada (two of the biggest forest countries in the world) accounted for 34 per cent of global tree cover loss from 2011-2013, losing a combined average of nearly 6.8 million hectares (26,000 square miles) each year, an area equivalent to the size of Ireland.  - See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

New data show Russia and Canada (two of the biggest forest countries in the world) accounted for 34 per cent of global tree cover loss from 2011-2013, losing a combined average of nearly 6.8 million hectares (26,000 square miles) each year, an area equivalent to the size of Ireland.  - See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

New data show Russia and Canada (two of the biggest forest countries in the world) accounted for 34 per cent of global tree cover loss from 2011-2013, losing a combined average of nearly 6.8 million hectares (26,000 square miles) each year, an area equivalent to the size of Ireland.  - See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

New data show Russia and Canada (two of the biggest forest countries in the world) accounted for 34 per cent of global tree cover loss from 2011-2013, losing a combined average of nearly 6.8 million hectares (26,000 square miles) each year, an area equivalent to the size of Ireland.  - See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

Globally, the world lost more than 18 million hectares (69,500 square miles) of tree cover in 2013 including both permanent deforestation and temporary losses due to harvesting, fires and other disturbances.
The data find that Russia, Canada, Brazil (2.2 million hectares), the U.S. (1.7 million hectares) and Indonesia (1.6 million hectares) make up the top five countries for average annual tree cover loss, which measures removal or death of trees within a given area, from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, Indonesia experienced its lowest tree cover loss in a decade.
- See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

Globally, the world lost more than 18 million hectares (69,500 square miles) of tree cover in 2013 including both permanent deforestation and temporary losses due to harvesting, fires and other disturbances.
The data find that Russia, Canada, Brazil (2.2 million hectares), the U.S. (1.7 million hectares) and Indonesia (1.6 million hectares) make up the top five countries for average annual tree cover loss, which measures removal or death of trees within a given area, from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, Indonesia experienced its lowest tree cover loss in a decade.
- See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

Globally, the world lost more than 18 million hectares (69,500 square miles) of tree cover in 2013 including both permanent deforestation and temporary losses due to harvesting, fires and other disturbances.
The data find that Russia, Canada, Brazil (2.2 million hectares), the U.S. (1.7 million hectares) and Indonesia (1.6 million hectares) make up the top five countries for average annual tree cover loss, which measures removal or death of trees within a given area, from 2011 to 2013. In 2013, Indonesia experienced its lowest tree cover loss in a decade.
- See more at: http://www.woodbusiness.ca/industry-news/forest-fires-caused-significant-tree-cover-loss-in-canada-and-russia-in-2013#sthash.eiddy4pM.dpuf

Lemon Tree Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat Blog 317-365

The lemon is a small tree with irregular branches armed with thick spines, stiff and sharp.

Essential oil of complex composition: limonene, pinene, citral, citronellal, terpineol, camphene, phellandrene, coumarins, flavonoids, vitamin C, carotenoids, mucilages, calcium oxalate. Abundant pectin, sugar, citric acid, malic acid, flavonoids.  Essential oil of complex composition: limonene, pinene, citral, citronellal, terpineol, camphene, phellandrene, coumarins, flavonoids, vitamin C, carotenoids, mucilages, calcium oxalate. Abundant pectin, sugar, citric acid, malic acid, flavonoids. 

Medicinal Uses

Parts used: Fruit, leaves, seeds.

Since ancient times, citron is used as a herbal remedy for 

• seasickness, 
• pulmonary and 
• intestinal disorders, 
• dysentery and 
• halitosis.
•  It can be very useful herbal remedy for diarrhea. 
• It eliminates gastric acidity, 
• stimulates functioning of the liver. 
• It is also helpful in cases of flatulence and 
• vomiting. 
• Citron can be very useful in cases of headaches, especially migraines.  

Lemon juice is used in topical application for 

• healing wounds,
• herpes and other 
• skin conditions.

• The boiled lemonade is used against colds and as sweat increaser. 
• The lemon juice in water is used against dyspepsia alkaline and 
• pure juice against catarrhal angina.

• The compress of juice applied to the upper stomach stops the vomiting. 
• It´s also used against chronic obstructions of liver and 
• spleen.

Methods of preparation: Boil for 5 minutes 5-12 g of fresh lemon leaves or the bark of fruit. Drinking 300-500 ml per day divided in 2-3 doses. The same decoction is applied topically to the affected parts 2-3 times a day.

 

•  Lemon seeds boiled in cow milk have vermicide effect. 
• The fruit is used in cooking and soft drinks. 
• For stabilizing the blood pressure must be taken the juice of 2 lemons in a glass of water, 2 or 3 times a day. 

• Lemons leaves are used as an anti-inflammatory when applied as an essential oil onto your skin. Steep the leaves in hot water for a natural diuretic and to help reduce cramps or relieve soar throats. Also a powerful antibacterial, lemons can help to combat bacterial-related ailments.
• The citron may thus be one of the first citrus cultivars due to its health connections. In early Asia it may have also been known as protection against scurvy along with other related properties such as helping to retain teeth; although this wasn’t understood in the West until the past few centuries. Not only high in ascorbic acid, Vitamin C, citrus fruit is also rich in folate and potassium, among other beneficial compounds and minerals.

History of the Lemon

Earliest cultivation of citrus goes back at least 2500 years to Asia. Although quite late as a Ming Dynasty work, this Chinese “still life” painting on silk below at the Freer-Sackler Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum shows a pair of citrus fruits at the lower left of the blue bowl. 

The occurrence of citrus in Europe and Mideast were thought to have been natural occurring native trees and shrubs, but historians today believe that the ancestor of the citrus trees, Citrus medica L., was introduced by Alexander the Great from India into Greece, Turkey, and North Africa in the late 4th century BC. The most ancient citrus was called ‘citron.’

There are ancient clues from wall paintings in the Egyptian temple at Karnak that citrus trees had been growing there. There were other suggestions that citrus trees may have been familiar to the Jews during their exile and slavery by the Babylonians in the 6th century BC. Even though speculations suggest that citrus trees were known and grown by the Hebrews, there is no direct mention in the Bible of citrus. 

According to some, the oldest attested reference to citrus (lemon and orange) occurs in Sanskrit in the sacred text Vajasineyi Samhita before 800 BCE, where it is named as jambhila [1] although not all agree this citrus reference is plausible. One of the earliest attested references to citrus, however, is from the Chinese poet Ch’u Yuan (Qu Yuan) in the 4th century BCE, who often mourned the loss of virtue in the state. He praised the orange tree as a possible allegory of ideal kingship rarely realized:
 
“Orange tree, nurtured by nature, born to be adaptable to the soil and water here…
Your leaves green and flowers clean,
so delightful is the riotous profusion.
even though between layers of leaves there are thorns,
the fruits are so beautiful and round…”

The first recording of citrus, Citrus medica L., in European history was done by Theophrastus, in 350 BC, following the introduction of the fruit by Alexander the Great. In early European history, writers wrote about Persian citrus, that it had a wonderful fragrance and was thought to be a remedy for poisoning, a breath sweetener, and a repellant to moths.

Citrus was well known by the ancient cultures of the Greeks and later the Romans. A beautiful ceramic tile was found in the ruins of Pompeii after the city was destroyed by a volcanic eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79. Another mosaic tile in the ruins of a Roman villa in Carthage, North Africa, in about the 2nd century AD, clearly showed the fruit of a citron and a lemon fruit growing on a tree branch.

Early Christian tile mosaics dating back to 300 AD of both oranges and lemon were shown in lemon-yellow and orange colors surrounded by bright green leaves and freshly cut tree branches; the relics can still be seen in Istanbul, Turkey at mosques that once were churches of Emperor Constantine. 

 A Jewish coin from the Maccabean Era about 136 BCE shows a citrus fruit. It became an important Succoth fruit in Jewish tabernacle and temple ritual.

Around 1178 A.D.  twenty-seven varieties of sweet, sour, and mandarin oranges are described in detail  in China by the medieval period attested by Han Yen-chih’s Chü lu.

 The lemon was also known to Rome from its plantings in Pompeii. Paleobotany has now proven this not only visually interpreted from wallpaintings like the House of the Fruit Orchard  and mosaics but also from carbonized wood from the Villa Poppaea at nearby Oplontis. 



Citrus was especially prized in the 17th century by Dutch botanists whose botanical gardens at Leiden and Amsterdam brought the exotic fruit to the attention of the wealthy. Orangeries – built with many windows to let sun in but keep frost out for protecting the trees from Northern winter damage – soon sprang up in nearly every royal palace and garden once the health virtues of citrus became better known.

Links

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xjku2d97kk 

http://health-from-nature.net/Lemon,_Citron.html 

http://www.gardenguides.com/79195-ways-use-lemon-tree-leaves.html
http://www.electrummagazine.com/2012/10/exotic-history-of-citrus/

Bible Trees The Myrtle - Medicial Uses

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 316-365

Myrtle (myrtus communis), also known as true or Roman myrtle, is a hardy, evergreen, highly fragrant shrub with dark green oval shaped leaves and attractive white flowers followed by black berries, during blossoming season (June-July). 

The myrtle tree is an indigenous species common in many parts of southern Europe and North Africa.

Like most other native trees, it had nearly disappeared from the Maltese countryside but there is evidence that in a number of localities such as Wied Għajn Riħana it used to be common.

The myrtle does not grow high and at most reaches five metres but its special attributes are aromatic leaves and beautiful white flowers that are in bloom from late spring to late summer.

Later in the year the myrtle tree produces large numbers of blue-black berries. The berries contain several seeds and it is very easy to propagate the tree from them.
 
The berries attract many birds that feast on them and help the plant by carrying away the seeds in their gut. When they defecate, they deposit them away from the parent plant, helping to disperse the species far and wide.

The myrtle is also cultivated and can be found in gardens even outside its natural range. It is ideal for hedges and one can be found in the front garden of the Domus Romana museum in Rabat.

Medicinal Uses 

The leaves, chewed raw or used as a standard infusion, is used as a general tonic and restorative, of special value during bouts of sickness, depression, or strain. It quickly revives the spirit, quickens the mind and strengthens the nerves. 

 Cases of poor memory and mental confusion in old age are successfully treated with Bog myrtle. The branch tea once was used as a diuretic for gonorrhea

In Sardegna and Corsica a liqueur known as Mirto is made from the berries. Myrtle has been used medicinally for at least 3,000 years and scientific studies show that the ancient medical uses of myrtle were based on real properties.

Myrtle oil is used, among other things, to treat respiratory problems by clearing the airways.

Myrtle and in particular myrtle berries contain many compounds that are thought could be beneficial to human health. 

 One group of flavonols known as myricetin, found in glycosides, are thought to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. 
 
Myricetin may alleviate the suffering of Alzheimer patients as it is known to inhibit beta-amyloid fibril formation. 

The flavonoids in myrtle, including myricetin, are heart healthy as they can help reduce the oxidization of LDL cholesterol, which leads to heart disease. 

Studies using myricetin on diabetic rats have demonstrated that the flavonol reduces glucose plasma levels and might be beneficial to diabetics. Healers in Middle Eastern countries have traditionally used myrtle as a treatment for diabetes.

Egyptians used the plant to treat nervous afflictions. 

French women drank tea made from crushed myrtle leaves, believing that it would help to preserve their youthful appearance and overall vigor. 

Myrtle has been conventionally used to treat coughs, bronchitis and other respiratory infections.  

There are two types of myrtle, and it's important that you do not confuse the two. Myrtus communis is known as "true" myrtle. The other variety, called "Madagascar Myrtle" (Eugenia jambolana), is a completely different plant and has entirely different effects on the body.  

Myrtle has been found to effectively clear up acne and other imperfections on the skin. It should topically be applied in its essential oil form, often in another carrier oil or in very limited concentrations. 

The organic compounds and powerful antioxidants in myrtle can help the cells heal quicker and improve the appearance of those affected areas. In its herb form, it can be consumed to see similar effects working from the inside out! 

One of the ancient applications of myrtle leaves was for the treatment of urinary tract or kidney issues. Myrtle can help to stimulate urination, thereby eliminating excess toxins, salts, fluids, and even fat, thereby helping to regulate the functions of your kidneys. 

Myrtle and its Culinary Uses
 
  Myrtle leaves are usually dried and used like bay leaf. They have a flavor similar to allspice, with a touch of menthol. The flowers are used as a garnish and myrtle berries are dried, ground and used like a spice, in a similar way to juniper berries. 

Myrtle leaves and berries are used to season lamb and pork dishes in Middle Eastern cuisine but are far less popular in the west, although they can be found in some western supermarkets. In Italy and on the island of Sardinia, where myrtle grows wild, the herb is a staple spice used in the kitchen and also for wood smoking to impart a distinctive flavor to barbecued food. 

 At the end of a meal Sardinians and also people on the island of Corsica often enjoy a glass of Mirto. Mirto is a liqueur produced from both myrtle berries, known as sweet, (rosso) and myrtle leaves, Mirto bianco.

Bible Reference
 
While the Israelites suffered in exile, God offered a vision of hope - all kinds of trees growing in the desert. “I will put in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, the myrtle, and the olive; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane and the pine together...” -Isaiah 41:19

Symbolism

The ancient Greeks dedicated the myrtle to the gods Aphrodite and Demeter and in many parts of the Mediterranean the myrtle still symbolizes love and immortality.

Myrtle, Myrtus communis is associated with both Aphrodite and Venus — the Greek and Roman goddesses of beauty, love, laughter, protection and joy.


In fact, myrtle forms part of the wedding bouquet in some European countries and it is also used to make a crown for the bride
In Greek mythology, myrtle, with its small creamy-white fragrant blossoms, represented the goddess Aphrodite and adorned the Three Graces, her attendants who were symbolic of the “graces” of femininity. “Although many plants and flowers were dedicated to Venus in Roman antiquity, the myrtle was the most sacred.”

Prized by the Hebrews, myrtle was their symbol for marriage. The online resource, Alchemy Works, explains that the association with marriage in many ancient cultures is probably because myrtle “was originally connected with sex.” An ingredient in magic love potions, it was thought to be “helpful in creating and preserving love.”

Women of both ancient Roman and Greek cultures bathed in healing and soothing myrtle-scented water; these baths became sacred rituals for brides in preparing for their wedding.  

Uses of Myrtle

Although the myrtle flower and tree are known for their many uses – from spicing up a meat dish, to adding a bit of sweetness to perfume – they are best known for their place in mythology and magic. The two best known tales tell of Adonis and Aphrodite. Adonis’s story states that his mother, Myrrha – daughter of the king Theias of Assyria – tried to escape from the clutches of her tyrannical parentage, and so the goddess Aphrodite turned her into a myrtle tree. 

Theias, still quite angry with his daughter, shot an arrow into the trunk of the tree, which shattered the bark. From the newly made hole, Adonis sprang forth. The story of Aphrodite is connected with that of Adonis. Finding the infant, she fell in love with it; when he grew older, she became smitten with him. Knowing his origins, she named the myrtle tree as one of her sacred plants. 

The myrtle flower has several other, looser, connections with Greek myth. For instance, Erato – the muse of marriage and love – wore a crown of roses and myrtle, while Phaedra – an enchantress – became a minor goddess that was associated with myrtle, as well as barley, the moon and rain. In magic, these flowers are commonly used as a sign of respect to the goddess of love, Venus. They are also frequently made into love charms, and placed in love spells.

links
http://fairhavenucc.org/Pages/PlantList6.html 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXcnr9jEKao
http://medicinalherbinfo.org/herbs/BogMyrtle1.html
http://www.raysahelian.com/myrtle.html

Bible Trees The Almond Tree - Medicinal Uses

By Liliana Usvat
Blog 315-365

The almond tree is the first tree to sprout and the last one to lose its leaves. 

The almond, Amygdalus communis, is a medium sized tree with narrow, light green leaves. Unlike the fig and olive, the almond does not live to a great age. The almond is a well-known symbol of resurrection because it is the first tree to flower. 
 
The white, five-parted flowers are up to two inches across and come in the late winter before the leaves of the tree develop. Because they may flower as early as late January or early February, it is sometimes possible to find almond flowers with snow.  

The Bible contains several references to the almond, often because of its early blossoming as a sign of awakening. The six-branched candlestick of the biblical Tabernacle, the meeting place of God with Moses and his people, is modelled on an almond tree. Later, in Christianity, the almond was seen as a symbol of the immaculate conception. 
 
"Christ was conceived in Maria as the almond kernel is formed in the still untouched almond" (Konrad von Würzburg, 13th century). The almond is probably best known in the form of marzipan, which came originally from the orient and was traditionally made of almonds, sugar and rose water. Baghlaba is the Persian variety.

Medicinal Uses

• Almonds form an ideal tonic for your growing child. Soak 3-6 shelled almonds in warm water and than remove the skin. Grind them into paste, and mix it with milk. Add a teaspoon of honey. Feed your child daily. It can also be useful in adolescent girls with delayed puberty; crushed almonds, egg yolk, gingelly (til) powder, and a teaspoon of honey in milk will ensure good overall development during adolescence.

 

 

• An excellent food supplement in case of general debility and convalescence. Soak 12-15 shelled almonds in hot water and remove outer covering. Grind them into fine paste, and mix it with the buttermilk and mash a ripe banana in it. Strain it through a muslin cloth, add 4 teaspoons honey, and drink twice daily. Almond forms an ideal food for diabetics also as it contains little carbohydrates.
• Almonds are a good for constipation. Grind separately 5 teaspoons almonds and 5 teaspoons dried dates. Combine them and add 10 teaspoons honey.  Take 3 teaspoons of this mixture twice daily.
• In the case of head lice, grind 7-8 kernels with 1-2 teaspoons lime juice and apply on the scalp. Apply a little almond oil on the scalp regularly and massage.

• In the case of tooth ache and gum diseases, burn the shells of almonds, powder, and use as tooth powder.
• To get relief from psoriasis and allied skin troubles, powder a few almonds, boil and apply on affected areas and let it remain overnight.
• To improve skin complexion, mix equal quantities of almond oil and honey and apply to face. To protect from sunburn, apply the paste of almonds and milk cream along with coconut oil on exposed skin.
• In the case of insomnia, grind blanched almonds (8-10) along with khuskhus grass powder (1 teaspoon) and milk (half teacup) and smear the paste on palms and soles.
• To get relief from muscle sprains, mix equal parts of almond oil and garlic oil and massage over affected areas.

 

Other Uses

The almond tree gives off a resin which can be collected in the form of tears. In Ancient Greece these resin tears were burnt as incense to ward off disease and evil spirits. The fine fragrance disinfects, purifies and clarifies.

The almond is probably best known in the form of marzipan, which came originally from the orient and was traditionally made of almonds, sugar and rose water. Baghlaba is the Persian variety additionally flavoured with cardamom and traditionally eaten there during the four-week festivities in celebration of the New Year. 

In 16th century Germany the production of marzipan was the province of the pharmacists whose "confectiones" were only prepared with sugar to make the bitter medicine more pleasant-tasting. Marzipan was also known as "heart sugar".
 

Almond Tree in History

Almonds already grew in the stone age and their cultivation is thought to go back to the Bronze age. The almond is probably the oldest cultivated fruit of the Old World with a success story that continues right up to the present day. In the 17th to 16th century before the birth of Christ the almond tree made its way from its native Asia via Persia to Asia Minor, Syria and Egypt. In the 5th century it then travelled further to Greece and to the Roman Empire.  

Legends about Almond Tree

Ancient Greece in particular is the source of many legends in which the almond tree plays a role. According to one of these legends the almond is said to have developed from a drop of blood of the Greek goddess Kybele, the mother of the gods, who was originally the goddess of the mountains and of fertility in Asia Minor. 

In other accounts the almond tree is said to have developed from the male half of a hermaphroditic being created by Zeus.


There is an almond tree fairy tale from Morocco. In this fairy tale the beautiful princess Hatim had such a kind heart that she took money from her father's coffers and gave it to the poorest of her country. The king had no understanding for his daughter's behaviour, accused her of theft and had her executed. Allah understood Hatim's action and transformed the dead princess into an almond tree which gave the country's people almonds year after year.

Bible Remarks regarding Almond Tree 

Almonds are mentioned six times in the Scriptures and only in the Old Testament. The first reference is in Genesis 43:11 where Jacob, in an apparent attempt to curry favor with the ruler of Egypt, orders his sons to take some of the "best products of the land" including almonds.

 The best-known reference to the almond is Aaron's rod that budded (Numbers 17). This is miraculous because the flowering, budding, and fruiting of the almond in nature are always separated in time. 

Its flowers symbolize the cups that crown the seven branches of the Jewish candelabra (Ex. 25:33-36; 37:19-20). 

In the biblical books, the almond tree is mentioned several times (e.g., Gen. 30:37-39; 43:11; Qo.12.1-5). 

The prophet, Jeremiah, mentions it in a vision: The word of Yahweh was addressed to me asking, "Jeremiah, what to you see?" "I see a branch of the watchful tree," I answered. 

Then Yahweh said, "Well seen! I too watch over My Word to see it fulfilled" (Jer. 1:11-12). In this text there is a word game between the Hebrew words shaqed, a/mond tree, and shoqed, I watch. 

 Also, the image of the almond tree, the first tree to bloom, reminds us of the watchful eye of God, that watches over His word to set it to practice.

The last reference to the almond is in Jeremiah 1:11. "The word of the Lord came to me: 'What do you see, Jeremiah?' 'I see the branch of an almond tree', I replied." The Hebrew word for almond sounds similar to that for watchful. 

Links

http://www.christusrex.org/www1/ofm/mag/HolyLnA2.html 
http://ww2.odu.edu/~lmusselm/plant/bible/allbibleplantslist.php 
http://blog.tattvasherbs.com/tag/medicinal-uses-of-almonds/ 
http://www.dr.hauschka.com/en_DE/knowledge-base/medicinal-plant-facts/almond-tree/#5