The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-02-15
Written for The Florida Ag~icaltWrist-
The COcOa-Nut Palm---ItS Value.
BY HELEN HARCOURT.
Continued from page 800. J

BY HELEN HARCoURT.
Continued from page 309.)
We come now to the leaves,
which, always beautiful, are also in
finitely useful.
At the base of each young Leaf,
enclosing and protecting it from
harm, we find network of fibre,
which presents the exact appearance
of coarse cloth. the threads crossing
each other with great regularity.
The Papuans and Tahitians con-
vert this strange cloth into a gar
ment, simply by joining its edges
with fibre obtained from the same
tree, and leaving hole in the center
through which to pass the head.
This garment is usually worn by the
native fishermen; its strength, dura>
bility and freedom from injury by
sea>water, rendering it especially de-
sirable for such pursuits. When
fresh from the tree, it is beautifully
white and as transparent as lace, its
pure delicacy suggesting the use to
which 1t is frequently applied-the
construction of cradles for infants.
But soon the white cloth turns green,
and is then made into aprons and
other garments. Age, so far from
deterioratiDg, greatly increases Its
strength, and in this stage Of its ex-
istence, it proves an invaluable friend
to the native, providing him with an
excellent water proof cloak, 'witn-
out money and without price"
This cloth, so strangely woven in
natures loom, is also employed as
filter for toddy; as a bag through
which TO strain cocoa nut oil, and as a
seive tor sitting arrowroot and other
flour.
The leaves OF the cocoa-palm are
probably OF all leaves the most valu-
able. We have seen how, in their
inclpient state, they are used as a
vegetable; in their next stage, still
unexpanded, though perfectly forms
ed, and of a beautiful silver texture,
white and semi-transparent, they are
wrought into exquisite crowns,
wreaths, lanterns and valentines.
Beautiful in their youth, they are
still more useful in their old age-a
prototype of human liIe.
Old and withered, their lovliness
all gone, they yet furnish no de-
spicable torches, when bound to~
gether IN bundles six feet in length
and several inches in diameter.
these torches are called "chulls," in
Ceylon, and if skillfully carried, will
burn brightly for half an hour.
The young leaves likewise furnish
boys and girls with beautiful mas
terial upon which TO interchange
verses upon certain holidays; the
older leaves, after undergoing a GERS
tain preparation, are termed "ollahs,"
and as such, are used for craven pur.
poses-letters, documents, books
and the like.
Neatly rolled up and sealed with
gum lace, these "ollahs" frequently
pass through the post-ofice, some
times travelling even as far as Eng
land without injury.
The young leaves are stronger
than the old, and strips of them are
used for all kinds OF ligatures, while
the tull-grown leaves from fifteen to
twenty feet long, are everywhere
employed for thatching; in Ceylon,
when used for this purpose, it is
plated into huge roofng-mats, with
which the bungalows of Europeans
are thatched, as well as those of the
native population.
The Maylays plait the leaflets into
sails for their phras, and wonder
fully durable do they prove to be
The uses OF the cocoa nut Deaf, like
that OF all palm trees, are manifold.
Mats for roofing buildings, for shel> I
tering young plants, tor covering
cattle.sheds, for fences, for walls,
for ceilings and for human
coverings; all these necessities they
supply, in the one article of plai' (
mats. Moreover, they furnish ,. ,.eU
kets, large and small, deli' ..,.. s@s1 .sS