Another World: Fragments from the Star City of MontalluyahLumley, Benjamin
Science
Another World: Fragments from the Star City of Montalluyah
Lumley, Benjamin
Utopias
Accompanied by my harp, I sang praises, with all the fervour of my soul,
to Him who had inspired me with the thought, and had endowed me with
patience and strength for its consummation.
Fruits had often been increased in size or improved in quality and
productiveness, by grafting one tree upon another; but no new fruit had
previously been created. There were instances, where trees of different
kinds, the one grafted on the other, had borne two kinds of fruit. This,
however, was the first instance where other means, besides grafting,
were employed, and where an entirely new fruit had been brought into
existence.
The Allmanyuka grows like a tree, and its stem is supported by sticks.
The fruit, which hangs from its branches, is in shape, but in shape
only, not unlike your vegetable-marrow, being covered with little
circular divisions, each containing others still more minute.
Its colour, when raw, is of the brightest violet, which through the
culinary process becomes a beautiful red, though I should observe, that
the first compound vegetable in the seeds of which I inserted the spice
particles was yellow.
It may not be uninteresting to know that the Allmanyuka is cooked in a
vessel over steam. Indeed, everything with us is cooked by steam, this
being especially serviceable, on account of the steadiness of its
action. There are machines to regulate the force and action of the
steam, and the attendant has only to obey mechanically the simplest
instructions.
The Allmanyuka is used in some sick-rooms as a fumigator. For this
purpose it is cut into slices, and the exuded juice which it bleeds is
accompanied with an agreeable aromatic odour.
The fruit possesses many other valuable properties. After its discovery
my people were never more afflicted with the maladies for the prevention
of which it had been created. It was sometimes called by the name given
by me,--often by a term signifying, "Inspiration of the Father of the
World." [1]
* * * * *
[Footnote 1: Although it may appear incongruous to
refer to a philosopher of this earth as illustrating
the work of a philosopher of another planet, the Editor
cannot help quoting a passage from a man possessed of
wondrous prescience, who, to use his own words, "held
up a lamp in the obscurity of philosophy that would be
seen ages after he was dead." It will also in a measure
convey the difference between the process of grafting
and the course pursued by the Tootmanyoso in the
creation of the Allmanyuka.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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