The Dickinson press., 1895-08-31
THE cocoANur IN FLORIDA.
Large Grove Established On the
SOutheastern Coaat.

N8&oS ~FOVc E0t0Dl1one0 On Vn9
SOutheastern Coast.
Quite a number of tropical nuts have
recently been introduced into cultiva-
tion in this country. Already on the
east coast of Florida are growing ESQ.,
600 cocoanut trees, 1900 being in one
plantation. 1t is believed that the
trees Of this kind in the state sprouted
from nuts brought from Central Amer
lea and the West Indies by the gulf
stream. At Key West and about some
of the old forts cocoanuts were plant
ed at an early day, rs certain ancient
trees now standing bear witness. In
1877 a bark freighted with cocoanuts
was caught in storm off the coast of
Florida and beached near Lake Worth.
Several thousand of the nuts were
saved and planted, the satisfactory
growth of the seedlings giving an inn
petua to cultivation.
The first importation of cocoanuts of
named varieties was made in 1889
when the secretary Of agriculture OBJ
tanned through the state department
two shipments Of selected nuts from
the Philippines. These, with two 9TH
er shipments in 1890 from the same
islands, comprehended fourteen varie-
ties. To get SO many varieties was no
easy task, inasmuch as not more than
two or three kinds grow in any one
district or island of the Archipelago,
and they were collected by skilled
botanist, who made tour for the pur-
pose. The nuts thus received were
forwarded to growers in Florida. Ger
tain specimens from the Islands of
Albay and Misamis were OF the small
est known variety, which yields little
oil and is Of inferior flavor. The shells
are carved by the natives Into beauti-
full drinking cups. The meat of a va
riety called "tayomamis'' ss prepared
as a delicious sweetmeat with yams
and syrup. Another variety, on ac-
count Of its extreme hardness, is
known as "bahan," which means mill
stone.
The word cocoanut is derived from
the Portuguese "coco," meaning mon
key, because the base resembles q
monkeys face. The tree was known
to the people Of Ceylon as early as 100
B. c., the milk being used by them for
making cement. The cocoanut is one
Of the most useful Of plants, root,
trunk, leaf, sap and nut are made to
yield tribute to man. The fiber of the
husk furnishes excellent yarn, and is
preferred to horse hair for stuflng
beds, cushions, chairs and saddles. It
Is stronger and more elastic than
hemp. The Polynesians twist small
cords Of this fiber. which serves in the
construction of houses and canoes,
where Europeans would employ nails.
The green nuts are grated for medic
inal use. Grated cocoanut forms an
ingredient Of the Fast Indian condi-
ment curry. In the Maldive islands
labor is usually paid for in cocoanuts.
The chief manufactured product de-
rived from the cocoanut is oil, valued
ut Z cents pound by the hogshead.
Most Of the cocoanut oil consumed in
the United States is manufactured in
this country from imported nuts. 1t is
valuable in the making Of candles and
soaps; 1t also serves as q substitute
for butter. 1t is used by natives Of
/ the Pacific islands for burning in their
| lamps. The kernels of the nuts, bro
ken and dried, are called 'coprn." One
thousand cocoanuts yield 600 pounds
Of copra, from which are obtained
twenty-five gallons of oil. A good tree
| yields 100 cocoanuts annually, worth
4 cents apiece. The worst foe Of the
planter is the black rat, which builds
Its nest in fruiting trees and destroys
the nuts. To protect the trees against
this enemy the trunks are incased In
broad sheets Of galvanized iron.-Bos-
ton Transcript.