Cheyenne transporter. [volume] (Darlington, Indian Terr.) 1879-1886, 1884-05-10
THE COCOANUT TREE.


were yet little cool in the early |
spring, so that the bright, coal fire in
the fireplace was very acceptable, be-
sides shedding soft, gentle light |
about the room.
The Graham children-Bessie, Mel |
lie. Tom and Dick-looked forward to
Saturday evening as their "home party |
night" as they called it Ever since
they could remember, their father had |
always made habit of getting home |
in time for an early tea, and then hav
ing u long evening with them. After
tea they all gathered around the long
table, so they could, as Dick said, "have
plenty of elbow room," and Mr.. Gra
ham would read them Il story, and then
Mrs. Graham always had some little
treat ready when the story was over,
and they were ready for the puzzle,
riddle or game sure to be provided by
some of the family.
This Saturday evening, for. the
party" part of the occasion, Mamma
Graham brought out. on the large
wooden plaque great, shaggy cocoa
nut, with its monkey eyes looking at
them from the end.
ooh! mamma, may | have the milk,
please?" cried Nellie.
I'D like a sup, too" said Bessie.
"And ~ "And IT, cried both boys
in one breath.
''You are almost too late in the day
to have all your requests for milk
granted" said Mr.. Graham. IF the
nut was in its green state now it could
satisfy you all, for then it contains
from one to two pints of clear liquid,
while now there will be but Il swallow
or two for Nellie, who, believe, spoke
first"
"Why, father. how is that?'
when the cocoanut is green it is
lined with soft albumen, like Jelly,
but as the cocoanut grows older this
iellv-like substance hardens, and con-
Sequently dries up more or less OF the
milk"
'Where do they come from, any
how?" asked Nellie, as she supped her
milk between her ''btes" of cocoanut.
"Anv of YOU older children ought to
be able to tell us that question. Dick,
my boy, can't YOU tell us where the
cocoanut is to be found?"
Yes, sir; | believe it is to be found
chiefly in the Islands of the sea and
the Pacific ocean" answered Dick
Il say, father" said Tom, who was
ever fond of natural history, tell us
all about the cOcOanut tonight, can
YOU? | think we will enjoy it more
now that we are eating it, than we
would at any other time as merely a
dry lesson
don't know that can tell you al
about il in Il short time, but perhaps
we can learn few things about it that
we did not know before. Dick has al
ready told us where it is to be found
and now for the size: 1t grows abou
two feet thick, and sometimes Il hun
dred feet high, or twice rs high as
four story house. 1t has no branches
but at the top is n crown Of fifteen o
twenty feather-lille leaves, each lea
twelve or twenty feet long, upon whicl
the nuts hang in punches.
ooh but wouldn't that be an i'm
mense tree to climbr' interrupte,
Dick, smacking his lips at tn
thought.
Yes, and immense patches to b,
put on your knees when you ar
through" =" remarked his mother, smil
NO.
Glow many nuts does a tree usual
bear in the course of n Year, aske
Tom.
"A full bearing tree will ripen fror
eighty to one hundred cOcOanuts
wear" his father continued. 1T
one of the most valuable trees in tn
world, rs nearly every part is usefl
to man. The young roots are cheWe
by the natives, and also woven int
baskets. The trunk of the tree ful