Daily globe., 1883-11-04
as sor Che 4:esf, baAeso Il, Though cannot
untfsrstand is
AM0NG PIE COOOANUYS.
How They Grow UsefuIness OF the
Products OF the C0c0REut Palm.

Products OF the Coc0RElut Palm.
[American Agriculturiskl
The cocoauuS makes its first appearance
above ground with delicate fern-ike shoot
Another and another follows until the grow
ing plant looks hike a gigantic fern. Then q
couple of leaves tuln yellow, brown, and
bright russell, and drop of, and you see a foot
OF stem between the remaining leaves and the
ground. 1t takes from seven to ten years to
send the tree up to height Of twenty feet.
Then 1t begins to bear. The first crop of
nuts is from fifteen TO twenty-five o
year. When it is in full bearing
tree Will make an annual yield of
from eighty to 700 nuts, or even more.
The cocoanu@ pEopagates with amazing
readiness. A, nut washed ashore on some
tropical beach is rolled up by tho tide Then
the rain rois the husk, and tho winds bury it
in the sand, and the next year oocoanut
palm Is springing from the arid ground. The
trees protect the tropical beaches from the
action OF tbs tides. Their roots sopead cut
and intEx2ace inso touch and nathke net
work, which opposes a wall Of vigorous re
sistanee to the gnawing and encroachmenfs
Of the sea.
Every one knows what tho ordinary cocoa-
nut Of commerce looks Ike. In nature. how
ever, il is enclosed by a thick, tough huskl,
fibFous on the inside, and from two to three
inches thick, bot covered without by a smooth.
light green rind. This husk Is either split
with blow or a heavy woo<-knife and
torn from the nut, or else tbs nut is
husked BY splitting the Tind on an i1ca blade
set i'll a log. L5 is from the ffbTe of the htlsk
that tho mats and corC1age OK commerce are
made. The fbre is Fot-pfoof n water, and in
tropical ships IS poSular in the form OF coir
rope. The uses of the cocoaaus in all forms
are manifold. The value OF the fT7al5 for
food is It's least recommendation. The meat
Of the nut is maceFa5ed and soaked in water,
and pressed, when it yields rich Oil, very
Pleasantin favor at first, but soon growing
rancid on exposure. This oil is also obtained
by boiling the meat, and furnishes q s5earine
for candles. It is used pure for burning, and
IN soap making. Soap made from cocoanut
oil forms a :ather IL salt water. Mixed with
resin, the oil makes g valuable pitch for
caulking. It is largely used in tropical cook
cry, ard on holidays many OF the aboIigines
and blacks besInear themselves with il as IL
it were perfume. Tho meat from
which the oil IS obtained is savory,
bat, being rich in fat, is very indigestible.
a green cocoanut contains only & milky
fluid, which generally consolidates on the in
side OF the shell, When the nut becomes
over-riPe on the tree, only watery milk IS
left il the she'll This rapidly sours, when
the nut becomes worthless. L it is picked,
however, before it grows too old, the milk
preserves its sweetness.
The leaves Of the cocoanut palm furnish the
most durable thatcE known il the tropics.
They are also extensively worked into mats,
screens, baskets, boxes, and so on. When
dampened and exposed to che sun until the
green portion rots, the fibre IS carded and
woven into coarse cloth. The wood is fine
grained and hard, and IS used in ornamental
work under the name Of porcupiua woo}3
The dbrcus heart ofthe old stems is male into
cordage. The husk IS used for burning, ard
makes an excellent scrub5ing brush.