The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1891-08-06
COCOANUT CULTURE.
How the Tree Is started and Its FaluG-
bic Fruit Produced.

waves of the ocean that it is now
prominent feature in almost every
tropical portion of the globe. covering
between 1000 900 and 1000, 900 acres
with its beautiful palms. and number
inc 25O. 600. 600 trees. yielding an
nually 10, 600. 100000 of cocoanuts
A recent approximate estimate OF
the area cultivated with the cocoanut
palm gave the following result: Brit
ish India and dependencies, 300, 900;
Central America. go. 900; Ceylon, 800
600; Eastern Archipelago and colo
mics. 350, 600: Java and Sumatra, 22O,-
900; Mauritius. Madagascar. Sey-
chelles and African coast, 100. 600;
Pacific islands. including Fiji, New
Caledonia etc. 800 900; Siam aud
Cochin China. 100,0 600 and West In
dies, 300, 600.
And when Florida shall add her TO-
900 acres living south of the twenty
seventh parallel of north latitude,
capable of growing 900. 600 trees. we
NAV see at no distant day the North
American cOcoanut demanding no
mean share of commercial attention.
For many years cocoanuts have
grown on the coast OF southern Flor
ida, but owing to an extreme fondness
for the green nuts manifested by those
engaged i'll the sponge fishing along
the coast, few nuts have been allowed
to ripen, only sufficient TO demon
strate that cOcoanuts can be raised Tor
several hundred miles along the coast
of Florida, where the Gulf Stream
flows SO close TO the shore. The CO.
coanut industry in that vicinity has
received an impetus of late. Several
northern capitalists have gone to Flor
ida and embarked in this industry.
seeing Qike Col. Sellers) millions in
it. Within the past four years over
300. 600 nuts We're planted on the coast
of Florida.
Such nuts as are wanted for plant
ing are gathered into heaps, or placed
under sheds, where they are allowed
to remain until the sprout shows itself
through the husk. When planted in
regular order holes about three feet
deep and from fifteen to thirty feet
apart are dug. In the hole the nut is
placed with care, and covered with
about one foot of soil. The hole is
filled gradually rs the sprout grows,
until it reaches the surface, when 1t is
left to itself, requiring no further at
tention.
Should the place where the cocoanut
is planted be any great distance from
the seashore quantity of salt is some
times placed i'll the hole, and some
times scraps of old iron, rs. being
strictly a saltwater loving tree. it will
thrive but short distance from the
seashore ncarness to salt water being
.hSplutnlv essential n ito Nynlfara In
fact it is said no magnet is truer to
the pole than is the root of the cocoa
nut tree to the ocean; for when the
root breaks through the husk it points
directly toward the sea, no matter in
what position the nut is placed in the
ground.
Boring its way downward the root
fastens itself so deep and firmly in the
ground that no tornado, no matter
how severe. has ever been known to
wrench it from its moorings; but the
hurricane, so frequent i'll the tropics,
will often twist the trunks and carry
the broken portions a long distance,
thus ending that cocOanut palm. rs it
will not sprOut Il second time. Could
you examine Il cocoanut when in the
process of sprouting you will lind
directly beneath the sprouting eye
small white. mushroom shaped kerr
mel, and in this little germ lies the life
of the future tree. Shut up in its
prison-like Shell, and the she'll sur
rounded b. many inches thick of tough
and tangled fibre. how is it to work its
way out and perform the duty assigned
to ii? For 1t is apparently soft and
tender as babv's hand.
Soon its tiny fingers begin boring
their way cut Of the weakest eye; then,
rending the tough woody fibre right
and left. ii forces itself to the surface
and commences the campaign of life,
sending its shoot upward to form the
tree and downward to form the roots,
still clinging to its parent for support.
until the entire inside of the shell is
filled with round, ball-lke substance
that is formed by the CONCEALED milk
of the cocoanut. From it the roots
fast forming receive their staff of life
until the mother coke becomes ex-
hausted and having fulfilled her mis-
sion. is deserted by her offspring and
left Il useless mass of fibre.
On grows the tree. sending deep in
to the ground its roots and high into
the air its trunk until after a lapse of
from five 10 eight years it has attained
a height of from forty to sixty feet.
and then pays tribute 10 mother earth
by bearing lis first fruit. and. under
favorable circumstances continuing to
yield for more than half a century,
givng-itS owner from 100 to 200 mar
kctable nuts wear.
Through the center of the trunk of
the cocoanut tree is 4 soft, tibrous
heart which furnishes the life of the
tree and acts rs great pump i'll fore
ing TO the nuts the immense quantity
of water required 10 fill them. This
hbrous heart has 4 wonderful iilteriug
power, Tor no matter in what location
the tree may be growing. either upon
the beach or in the malarial swamps
near the pools OF staTnant water, when
nature has done her work she deposits
IN the eocoanut a sparkling liquid rs
clear rs crystal and rs cool rs if drawn
from the deepest well in our northern
yards. Having no particular season
Tor fruitlng. but bearing all the year
round. blossoms, ripe and green fruit
may be found on the same tree.
The blossom of the cocoanut is a
most beautiful aud peculiar work of
natures art Appearing ut the base
OF the long ragged leaves is a gourd-
like sheath, green in color, aud stand
ing erect until its own weight causes
1t to bend downward. where it hangs
until the stems it encloSes, which are
TO bear and sustain the nuts, are sufli-
GENTLY matured to proceed on their
Journey without protection. When
this outer covering splits open it re-
Veals cluster of ragged stems, upon
each OF which YOU will fluid miniature
cocoanuts, requiring about fourteen
months 10 ripen. Merchants ReUicto.
Floating Arkansaw Mills.
The manufacture of lumber in
Arkansas is carried on very largely
now by floating saw-mills. which work
up the oak timber on the territory adj