The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1890-12-13
MOST LUSCIOUS LAYOUT.
ABOUT FRUIT IN THE SAND
WITCH ISLANDS.
How the Bunches OF nananRs Grow--Coeoanuts
Very Common rineapples are Prolific
Tamarinfs, nansoes and Lemons
I'm Ahun iahee--Peaches,e etc.

Rural Home interesting facts about
fruit production there Among the
fruits that attract most notice aud are
held in the highest esteem is the ban
ana.
While a single stalk OF the banana
bears but one crop yet other shoots are
all the time coming on SO that In this
mild and frostless land bananas are
found in every stage OF ripeness during
each month in the year While there
are several varieties only two or three
are cultivated for home use. Most OF
the bananas arc grown by the Chinese
upon these islHnds for they excel as
gardeners and fruit producers. The
Chinese assorted that they planted as
many rs three thousand upon a single
acre OF land but this seems an incredi-
BILE number when We know that less
than one thousand grape vines are
produced upon an acre They are
however planted close together so that
the assertion is not improbable. The
lunches sell in the interior from ten To
twenty-five cents each but in the larger
towns they command about double this
price. The amount OF fruit that can
DO produced upon single acre is enor-
nous for they are exceedingly prolific.
Humboit estimated that the same
space OF ground that would produce
Que thousand pounds OF potatoes would
raise a. 900 pounds OF bananas They
are not usually planted at higher
altitude than LOO feet and where pos
sible they are placed In the sheltered
ravincs. gulches and canyons to avoid
the strong winds that often blow.
Cocoauuts are very common but arc
grown only near the sea shore. Form
erly they were fed to the hogs bur
now so many arc shipped that the
fruit is In demand. When the meat is
first formed inside OF the shell there
Is only a thin layer scarcely thicker
than knife blade AS soon as this
harGens tribe. an additional layer is
added and the meat increases in this
manner till IL is about half an inch in
thickness Tho milk is much sweeter
and finer than when the nuts have
been long plucked from the tree as we
find them. The trees are not allowed
90 be cut down but are kept for fruit
production. All parts OF the tree are
used by tho islanders and among some
OF these various uses the leaves are
,,,a1o into p,uta hooLafa bronmo md
torches; the cluster OF unexpanded
leaves Is made into pickles and pre-
serves The sap Is made into drink,
the nut Is used for food, the oil for
amounting the Body and for variety
OF other purposes. Out OF the shell
many articles such as drinking cups,
bottles, spoons and knife handles are
made Tho fibre which envelops the
she'll within the outer husk is made
into mattresses, cushions, ropes, cables,
cordage, nets and mats
Pine Apples are very prolific, two
varieties are grown, these are know
ms the sugar pune apple and the com
mon one.
Tho tamarind grows TO be a large
and handsome tree but this fruit is
never eaten fresh. IL must be pre-
served TO make IL palatabc. In shape
the tree resembles the hg. being large
aud spreading. but il is a dirty tree
around the houses owing TO the falling
OF its leaves and fruit
A favorite fruit with all natives Is
the mango. The tree Is about the size
OF "A pear tree, tho fruit ripens in the
fall and hangs upon the tree for
several months. aud as tho mango
ripens its fruit at different periods the
natives can obtain IL during az least
half OF the year. The FRUIT Is about
the size OF a large pear and contains
long Hat kernel. The mango Is very
sweet and luscious. but owing 20 its
extreme juciness and the fact that its
juice will stain like an indcliblo dye IL
must be eaten with arms barred and
care used that the juice does not come
In contact with the clothing.
Lines and lemons though common
are not plentiful, and not enough
are grown 20 meet the home demand.
Lines sell in the larger towns az
twenty-five cents dozen and arc i'm
ported from San Francisco In large
quantities. The same holds true OF
the lemon. for though this tree grows
readily. not enough have been planted
TO meet the homo demand for this
fruit
All OF the peaches. plums, cherries.