Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1891-08-28
culruag OF cocoANurs,
The Tree Is spreading Al over tho rr,n-
clpal racts or tho world,

ciral racts or tho world.
Although the true and original home
Of the ooeoanut is India and the South
Sea islands IL has become So widely
ditfused by the hands Of man and the
waves OF the ocean that It Is now a
prominent feature in almost every
tropical portion OF the globe covering
between 1000, 600 and 1000 600 acres
with Its beautiful palms and number
ing $50, o0o, 000 trees yielding annual
ly 10 600, coo, 600 COcoanutS says the
Philadelphia Telegram,
For many years Cocoauuts have
grown en- the coast OF southern Flor
ida bat owing 10 an extreme tonducSs
for the green nuts manifested Ivy those
engaged In ae,pongc dshlug along the
coast few nuts have been allowed to
ripcu only sufficient to demonstrate
that cocoanuts can I've raised for scvcr-
nj hundred miles along the coast Of
Florida whore the Gulf stream flows
Sc close to the shore. The cocoanut
industry in that vicinity has received
an impetus OF late, Several northern
capitalists have gone TO Florida and
embarked in this industry, seoing dixie
Colonel Seuors) millions In t. With.
In the past four years over 500, 900
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 whore thoy are allowed
to remain until the sprout shows itsolf
through the husk, When planted in
regular order holes about feet deep
and from Is TO 80 feet apart are dug,
In tho hole the nut Is placed with caro-
and covered with about one foot of
soil, TIE hole is filed gradually as
tho sprout grows until Il reaches
the surface when It is loft to itself,
requiring no further attention,
Should tho place whore the cocoa
nut is planted be any great distance
from the se2shorc, a quantity OF salt
Is sometimes placed in tho hole and
sometimes scraps OF old iron, as, being
strictly salt water loving tree il will
thrive but short distance from tho
soashoro nearness to salt water being
absolutely essential 90 its welfare. In
fact, ii is said, no magnet Is trucr to
the pole than ia tho root OF tho cocoa.
nut tree 10 tho ocean, for when tho
root breaks through tho huslJ IL points
directly toward tho sea- no matter In
what position the nut Is placed In tho
ground,
Boring its way downward the root
tastcns itself SO deep and firmly In the
ground that no tornado, no matter how
severe, has ever been known to wrench
1t from its mornings; but the hurricane,
so frequent In tho tropics will often
twist the trunks and carry the hrolton
portions II long distance, thus ending
that cocoanut palm, rs 1t will not
sprout n second timo. Could you oN-
anime n cocoanut when In the process
OF sprouting you will find directly be-
meath the sprouting eye II small white
mushroom shaped kernel, and In this
tree, shut up In its prison-lilSo shell.
and the she'll surrounded by many
inches thick of tough and tangled fiber,
how is 1t 20 work its way out and per-
form tho duty assigned TO Up For II
is apparently soft and tender NJ n baby's
hand.
Soon its tiny fingers begin boring
their way out OF tho weakest eye; then,
rending the tough woody fiber right
and loft, II forces itself TO the surface
and commences tho campaign for lifo
sending It's shoot upward TO form the
tree aud downward to form tho roots,
still clinging 10 its parent for support
until the entire inside OF the shell Ia
! filled with round, ball-llio substance
that is formed by the oongonlod milk
OF the cocoanut From II the roots
fast forming receive their stan OF life
until the mother coke becomes exhaust.
cd aud, having fulfilled her mission, Ia
deserted by her offspring and loft a
/ dead and useless mass OF fiber
On grows tho tree, sending deep into
the ground It's roots md high into the
air its trunk. until after lapse OF
from five to eight years IL has attained
height OF from forty 10 sixty feet,
and then pays tribute 10 mother
earth by bearing It's first fruit and
under favorable circumstances contin.
uing to yield for moro than half O
century. giving its owner from one
/ hundred TO 200 marketable nuts q
| year.
! Through the confer OF the trunk OF
/ tho cocOanut tree IL a soft hbrous
I heart which furnishes the life Of a
tree md acts rs a great pump in forcing
/ TO the nuts the Immense quantity oi
wator required 20 OIL them This
I hbrous heart has q wonderful fltoring
/ power for no matter in what locality
the tree may be- growing. either upon
/ the beach or IN the malarlal swamps
near the pools OF stagnant water when
/ nature has done her work she dopos.
I It's In the coeoanut sparkling liquid
as clear rs crystal and as cool as II
I drawn from the deepest well In our
/ Northern yards Having no particu.
lar season for frulting, but bearing all
the year round, blossoms ripe and
green fruit may be found on the same
tree.
The blossom Of the coeoanut Ia q
most beautiful and peculiar work oil
q A -