The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-01-25

! six hundred feet above the sea; IN ven:
ezuelIa, it cliugs to life at distance OF
hundred leagues from its beloved
ocean friend-and yet moreover IN
! the heart of Africa, it finds wherewlthaI
to exist, although it there bears no fruit.
In striking contrast to these dropping
| exiles, we need but to look upon the
little islands off the coast OF Sumatra,
washed over by every storm, to find the
cocoaspalm lifting its crowned head IN
the ioyousness of full health and vlgor.
Nearer home. we find the Brazilian
coast, for distance of nearly three
hundred miles, heavily fringed with
these noble trees, while one small island
near by, THAT of Itamarca) yields annu-
ally three hundred sixty thousand nuts!
Take away tne cocoa-palm from the
numerous islands of the Pacific ocean,
and the majority of them would at once
become uninhabitable, for these useful
trees, often alone and unassisted, fur
nish the native population with food,
and shelter and clothing; without their
loving gifts these tropical isles would be
dreary and desolate wastes.
Dwelling in the East and in the West,
this one palm alone Is said to furnish
food for no less than hundred millions
of human beings, besides q countless
host of animals.
How say you, gentle reader, is not
this noble tree? Is not its life pre-
cious one?
Ceylon, however, that landof tropical
profusion, is pre- eminently the home of
the cocoa-nut tree, although; as we have
10 1Nos,
the place of it's birth.
In the most ancient voyages on record,
mention is made of the "beautiful
cocoa.nut groves.'' of this great island,
which, in days gone by, was called
"Taprohane.'' and again, "Serendih,"
while still farther back, it is supposed
to be identical with the far-famed "Lar-
shish" OF the Scriptures.
Those very groves described by the
Arabian voyagers, are still fourishing
at the present day, only greatly enlarged
and improved, for SO valuable have their
products become, that the prosperity of
the entire island is now intimately con-
nected with their cultivation.
And yet for many years, for long
centuries in fact, the Cingalese lived in
total ignorance Of the precious treasure
which girdled their shores.
True, as we read in the ancient chron-
icle of Ceylon,-th "Mahawanso"-the
small red cocoa-nut, grew in the interior
Of the island, and its milk was employed
in manufacturing cement for building
temples; but further than this one
variety, the Cingalese knew nothing,
and never dreamed of its value as an
article of food.
Regarding the tardy discovery of
the vast importance of the cocoa-palm,
there is handed down among them, q
curious tradition, the exact cate of the
events related is, however, not given.
1t seems that great and good rajah,
CHANGED, most unconsciously, to offend
the god Buddhoo, by neglecting to offer
sacrifices beneath certain tree, which
the deity had set apart as sacred to him.
self; not being blessed with omniscience,
the rajah was ignorant of this fact, and
was (most unreasonably we thinlz) pun
ished for COMFORTING himself Accord
ingly.
His whole person became covered by
q white, scaly substance, so that he we'll
nigh lost all semblarce to humanity; his
people, by whom he was justly beloved,
offered prayers and sacrifices in his
favor, while he himself patiently awaited
the result.
One night he fell into a deep trance,
which lasted for several days. and dur
ing this sleep he beheld vast expanse
of water, rolling up against the land
upon which he stood; he tasted it, and
found it nauseous and salt; turning his
back upon the blue waters, his delighted
eyes rested upon a great number of tall,
slender trees, having no branches, but
only tuft OF leaves at the top, and
dark colored balls Nesting under this
featLery crown.
The Rottah rajah awoke, and thought
upon this wondrous vision; his home
had ever been in the heart of the int.
ricr, where even 10 this day the cocoae
palm is unknown; he had never seen the
great ocean, he had never beheld such
trees as he had looked upon in his sleep.
The more he thought upon it. the more
he became convinced that his dream
had been sent by the great god Buddtoo
but what did it portend?
The Rottah rajah prayed, and offered
sacrifices of sweet-smelling flowers, and
then he once more lay down and fell
asleep.
But now the scene changed; he saw
himself lying as he actually was, be-
meath tree. and from the neighboring
Jungle, an immense cobra di capello
issued forth. The rajah regarded it
without fear; it was the sacred snake of
the Buddhists and had protected their
god while he walked the earth. The
snake approached the dreamer, and
thrice dipped its forked tongue in the
leaf of water, which the rajah's attend
ants had placed at his side; then 1t
bowed his head over him, and slowly
retired to the Jungle. The good prince