Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-04-15
Nuts to Crack.

The consumption OF nuts of all kinds
is increasing. The old idea about the
indigestihility of nuts was exploded
long ago, and every body eats them
They are growing more popular every
year rs an article of table dessert, and
even the grocery stores are now keep
ing them, whereas formerly they were
to be found only in the confectionery
shops. The wholesale trade has great
ly increased in consequen nee of this
growing demand. Where only few
bags OF foreign nuts were handled a
| few wears ago, thousands of bushels
now find market annually. The
wholesale fruit dealers in Nav York
and Boston have cone to regard the
! nut crop rs one Of sure aud steady sale.
New York is the important importing
center of the trade in foreign ants, and
/ from that city great d0h Of tn. dis
tributiug takes place. Blu; within the
past year, Boston has made step
ahead in this direction, an now has a
regular line of steamers from Meiiter-
ranean ports, which steamers bring
fruit and nuts direct.
First in importance among strictly
foreign nuts comes the English walnut
which, by the way. is not an English
nut at all. The greater portion of the
English walnuts received here come
| from Naples and certain French ports.
The best are from Naples and Grenoble
and though more attention has been
given of late years to tho cultivation of
this nut, yet go large and increasing is
the demsnI that about all that are
faised find ready market.
IL quality and favor they are about
the finest mt which comes into the
market, and in the nut-producing Sec
TORS OF Italy, France and Spain they
ara carefally husbanded and sent to
market. England nses all her little
islanl will produce of these nuts at
home and hence the term English wal
nut iu our market would more proper
ly be Italian walnut, o. French or
Spanish walnut.
Almond nuts are, as everybody
knoN VS., the kernal or seed of the sweet
almond. Formerly they came chiefly
from Barbary, but of late years, they
are grown in Southern Europe and the
miller climates of Asia. Within few
years this fruit has been very success
fully cultivated in southern California,
and it is expected that our full supply
will soon come from that State. The
trees sometimes grow to the hight of
thirty feet. The leaves like those OF
the cherry and the peach tree, contain
prussic acid. The almond is thought
to be the most indigestible OF all nuts,
! but, were they never eaten at all raw,
| the demand would still be great, since
they arc extremely used in fancy cook
cry and confectionery.
Fiiberts, which are the cousins of
our English haz-lnuts, belonging to
the same family, are very extensively
grown on the Island of Sicily, and
large quantities were formerly brought
from Spanish ports. They are an
available nut in commerce and gencr-
ally q great fsvorite with the lovers of
nuts. The crop this yesr is said to be
ample. These nuts are rather oily,
but wholesome on the whole. The ell is
what is known as u "qu;ck dryer" and
is considerably used among artists and
the makers of fine varnishes.
Our English hszeln1ts are a crop too
insignificant to be reck0ned beside the
fiibert crop, being entirely consumed
at home. Bat California and others OF
our southern States promise soon to he
come large growers OF tilberts. Filberts
like hazelnuts, are the seel of shrub or
brush. generally growing in clusters,
from four to ton feet high.
The cocoaurt is the fruit OF the cocoa
pale, Tree, native OF trop:esl climates
only, ana furnishing best near tie sea-
Glnrn tlpr gnnYIv from the
Esst and West Indies, and from South
from sixty to 100 feet in hight and pro-
duce the nuts at the tops of The trees
from the sxils Of the long, fan-like
branches. They grow in clusters of
from len 70 fifteen nuts each, which are
repro !uced every five or six weeks dur
ing the rriny season; hence a single
trne Will often produce from sixty to
| 100 nutsl. a year. Cocoanuts are very
important IN commerce. There is al
ways an active demand. which has been
greatly increased of late years. Tie
process of desiccatiug or drying and
packing them has extended their use.
Boston and New York fruit merchants
handle hundreds of thousands every
year. BY the natives Of countries
whore the cocoanut is grown great
deal of crude oil is made. 1t is sold
and shipped to this country and refined
or u:od in the manufacture Of SOAP
| Boston Herald.
| TREATMENT OF GLHMAN SoLDIERs.-
Nedawczln, q German cavalry soldier,
having deserted from his corps some
months ago, was recently fouLd in the
village where his family lived, and a
subordinate officer, accompanied by q
private, w.s sent to take hun into Gus.
tnly. Tho two returned in due timo,