The herald., 1895-08-18
COCOANUTS In FLORIDA

Quite mum ber of tropical nuts have
been recently introduced into cultivation
in this country. Already on the east
c. asst of Florida are growing 250,000 CO.
coanut trees. A., 900 being in one planta-
ton. 1t is believed that the first trees
of this kind in the state sprouted from
nuts brought from Central America and
the West Indies by the gulf stream. At
Key West and about some OF the old
forts cocoanu.s were planted at an early
day, as csrtain ancient trees now stand
ing bear witness. In 1877 a bark freighted
with cocosnuts was caught in storm
off the coast OF Florida ana beached near
Lake Wo.;h. Several thousand of the
nuts we're saved and planted, the satis-
factory growth of the seedlings giving an
impetus to cultivation.
The first Importation of cocoanuts OF
named varieties was made in 1889, when
the secretary of agriculture obtained
through the state department two ship
ments of selected ncts from the Philli-
pines. These, with two other shipments
in 1890 from the same islands, compre-
hended fourteen varieties. To get so
many varieties was no easy task, mas
much as not more than two or three
kinds grow in any one district or island
of the archipelago, and they were col
lected by skilled botanist. who made a
tour for the purpose. The nuts thus re-
ida. CertainIspecimens from the islands
of Albay and Miasmis were of the small
est known variety, which yields little oil
and is of inferior flavor. The shells are
carved by the natives into beautiful
drinking cups. The meat of a variety
called 'tayomamis' is prepared as de-
licious sweetmeat with yams and syrup.
Another variety. on account of its ex-
treme hardness. is known as "bahan,"
which means milestone.
The word cocoanut is derived from the
Portuguese word cocoa, meaning mon
key. because the base resemb bles a mon
keys face. The tree was known to the
people of Ceylon as early as 160 b. c., the
milk being used by them for making ce-
ment. The cncoanut is one of the most
useful of plants; root, trunk. leaf, sap and
nut are made to yield tribute to man.
Tho fiber Of the husk furnishes excellent
yarn, and is preferred to horse hair Tor
stuffing beds, cushions, chairs and sad
dies. 1t is stronger and more elastic than
hemp. The Polynesians twist small
cords of this fiber, which serve in the
of houses and canoes where
Europeans would employ nails. The
green nuts are grated ior medcinal use.
Graf ed cocoanut forms an ingredient OF
the East Inuian condiment known as cur
ry. In the Maldive islands labor is usu-
allv paid for In cocoanuts.
The chief manufactured product derived
from the cocoanut is oil, valued at I cents
a pound by the hogshead. Most of the
cocoanut oil used in tue United States Is
in this country from i'm
ported nuts. 1t is valuable in the max
ing of candles and soaps: it also serves as
a substitute for butter. 1t is used by ma
tives of the Pacific islands for burning in
lamps. The kernels of the nuts broken
and dried. are called ''copra. One thou
sand cocoanuts yield 800 pounds of copra.
from which are obtained twenty five gal
Ions OF oil. A good tree yields 100 cocoa
nuts annually. worth A cents apiece. The
worst foe OF the planter is the black rat,
which bulos its nest in the fruiting t:ees
and destroys the nuts. To protect the
trees against this enemy. the trunks are
encased in broad sheets of galvanized
iron. Boston Transcript.