Telegram-herald., 1890-04-04

rhs sssros .as Uss 20 /. Qs~sr- -Lssslas
Trop1e 4 s2k

On tie Arl4ntle docks IA Brooklyn
few DAYS ago. = reporter - tbs New
York Esentng Post picked up queer
ioozng agL IN siSe Il might ee CON
pared with walnut though - VA
Somewhat larger baf IN SHAPE it wa
very different being not roand. bat rSi
on several sides 1t dinsre1 also from
ths sslnEt Ia TIE surface Of its shell,
which reseru bled the cksstnut's II Aolog.
bet not So smooth; snd Il el1ersd s-lu
more IN the substance Of It's shell, which
offered oaly moderate resistance %
the point OF = Psnknife. The mome1t.
howsyer, that the shell was penetrated.
= resistance Vas enooun sere1 which Was
by 70 means moderate. The nut inside
was a solid white sabsIAnoo. almost -
hard as marble.
AscertAinlny that This was specimen
of the ivory nuts. which are articles Of
commerce, the reporter visited tnS chief
local dealer IN them and asked some
questions abous their nature and uses
The dealer said: While ivory nut Is
the name ssed in tAis country, the
Spanish name Is 'tagua, and In England
and Germany the nut is known as the
scorossos nat'-which IL Is not, the
oorossos nut being something entirely
different The nut without ITS shell -
here also called vegetable ivory IL
Is one OF the uncultiTatsd products
OF South America, and Is import
ed chiefly from Ecuador and the
United States OF Colombia IL grows
upon species Of palm tree about four
teen feet high, which is found 10 I'm
,mense groves along the banks OF the
larger streams, preferring low, marshy
soil. but not disdaining the higher
ground. What is called the female tree
yields . perfumed blossom, and, like
the cocoanut tree, bears buds and bios
SONS az the samo time that the ripened
nuts are dropping 70 the ground The
male tree also blossoms, but its lowers
never turn 70 fruit. The nuts grow in
thick clusters close 20 the trunk OF ths
tree. They are gathered by tho natives,
who carry them IN canoes or on their
backs in baskets from the groves 70 the
towns and villages along the rivers,
where they sell them for q moro trife.
The traffic In the United States OF Co
loubiais is chiefly on the Magdalena river.
and in Ecuador along various streams.
The nuts are collected at the villages
by small, fiat-bottomed steamers, burn
ing wood for fuel, and drawing only four
and half feet of water when loaded
These carry the nuts principally to
Aspinwall, whence they arc shipped in
schooners and by the steamers OF tho
Atlas limo to the various importing
places. The schooners are rarely loaded
with ivory nuts alone, but receive about
half their cargo in cocoanuts, which are
invariably put on top OF the ivory nuts;
the latter would break the cocoanuts II
their positions were reversed, while the
cocoanuts could as easily break pile Of
cannon balls
Hamburg, Germany, is the largest
market for ivory nuts. New York comes
next, and is the only port in this coun-
try to which they arc shipped. San
Francisco tried the trade but had TO
give it UP. London is third, though not
many years ago it was second. / think
that perhaps fashion has had something
10 do with it in setting its face against
articles made from the ivory nut.
"Those articles are principally but
tons, and for a common or medium
grade button there is no better material
AT the factories boys called 'shuckers'
are employed to knock off the shells Of
the nuts. The ivory is then taken by
sawyers and Stabbed that is, cut with
fine saws into disks. After being assort-
ed as to sizes the slabs are put in bins
to dry thoroughly. At first they are
blush white; when dried they lose some
OF their bulk and turn dead-white. Next,
girls put them into turning-machines,
by which they are converted into various
button shapes. Dyers then take them
and turn them out Of their vats in four
or e We sets of colors. To others a not
tied appearance is impaired with brushes.
They are also made to initiate very close
" tortoise-shells, black cloths, especial
" black silk, and Scotch goods. / dare
say you have often had ivory
nut buttons on your clothing, and
thought they were bono or cloth-covered.
They wear and hold polish excellently.
Such things as baby rattles, umbrella
heads, cane heads, and hooks and eyes
are also made from l. )ry-nuts.
"The older the ivory gets, the harder
tt becomes. and, if undyed, the whittier.
Its usefulness has become greatly re-
stricted by tho small size Of the nut
Experiments have long been unsuccess-
fully tried 70 make the ivory into blocks
OF any size by REDUCING the nuts TO pow
der and then moulding the mass to-
gether by powerful machine pressure.
II any ono could succeed in invening
means 20 do this, It is safe to say fort
une would await him. Vegetable ivory
would then supcrsede celluloid, which
IS affected by moisture and smells Of
camphor, and is also much more eKpen-
sivc. The supply Of ivory nuts is vast
At tho head ~ the Amazon river. not to
mention other parts OF South America.
there arc THOUSANDS Of acres thiclzIy
covered with nuts, which. left for years
untouched, are rotting away.
''In tho market here eight grades are
recognized, according % the places from
which the nuts come. The Ecuador NJ s
rank highest, and Of these there arc
two grades. the first coming from Tuna
co, and the second from GusyaquiL"
An Err-- ~ 5.EECs.