The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-02-08


is that Of the palm it possesses n,
bark, the surface appearing to b
formed OF the cicatrices which sue
ceed the fall of the leaves, and becom
gradually hardened by the action o
the sun and air.
The wood of the cocoa.nut improve
with the age of the tree; soft whel
young, it yearly increases in density
until finally it requires an extreme
hardness, and is consequently highly
valued.
In the Maldive and Laccadive
Islands, boats are made from the
followed stem, and planked with
wood from the same tree.
The Polynesians it furnishes with
their most valued spears, and the
Puris Indians, of Brazil, manufacture
from it their best bows.
Many of our readers are doubtless
familiar with the wood OF the cocoa
nut palm, although ignorant of its
identity with the ''Porculoine acood''
of commerce, change of name more
striking than euphonious, and for
which it would be difficult to assign
reason, other than the caprice OF
the manufacturers of elegant work
boxes and costly articles Of furniture,
by whom it is chiefly imported.
Hard as ivory, Of a rich chocolate
color, spotted with black, and finely
veined, it admits Of an exquisite pol.
ish. the choice pieces frequently re-
sembling dark agate.
I Before the cocoa-nubpalm becomes
| aged (it bears fruit for seventy years
and lives much iongerA the interip
of ~ o,r affo Nos ons:Jy -stcSs ca. :.
which is sweet and pleasant to the
taste, and may be called the bread 0J
The tree; in addition to this flour the
stem also yields species of gum,
highly priced by the Tahitian women,
who use it to plaster and stlffen their
hair, according to their ideas OF
beauty and grace.
In Barbary, guests are entertained
on festive occasions, With the honey
or the dipse of the cocoa>nut palm,
which is really the sap of the tree.
The crown is cut from off vigor.
GUS palm, and the top of the stem,
thus lett bare, is scooped out into the
form of deep basin.
The sap ascends on It's accustomed
course, unconscious OF the evil fate
that awaits it, and finding its return
cut off, flows gently, and, as we may
imagine, sadly into the receptacle
prepared for it.
Here 1t collects at the rate of three
or four quarts a day, during the first
fortnight after this the quantity di>
minishes, and at the end OF two
months, the sap exhausted, ceases to
flow. the tree becomes dry and dead,
and - cut down for timber or fire.
wood.
The dtpse thus obtained Is sweeter
than honey, and of less consistency,
but # not used Immediately, it be-
comes thick and ropy, and after dis
tillation, affords an agreeable spirit,
which is called ariky by the natives,
and is the "palm wine" OF the
ancients.
Let us now pass on TO the bud
which contains the inclpient terminal
leaf; this is sometimes used as an
article of food by both Europeans
and natives; boiled it becomes al
excellent cabbage; stepped in vine
gar it forms an agreeable pickle: bu
useful as the terminal bud certainly
it, in these capacities, it is to be re
gretted that it is ever so employed
as its removal necessitates the deatf
OF the tree. -,
Every one has heard of 'toddy 5
this is a sweet juice obtained b.
wounding the unexpanded flower
and beating it daily with a stick
which operation facilitates the flow o
sap; a healthy blossom will yiel'
from one TO two quarts OF juice daily
for more than month.
BY boiling this Se'ri, as it is called
coarse brown sugar is obtained
which is termed Gdge'aq, one gallol
of the surf yielding a pound OF sugar