The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1895-09-28
THE CoCoANUT IN FLORIDA.
Large Grove Estab1j shed on the
Southeastern Coast. .., .-


Large Grove Established on the
South eastern Coast. g.,
Quite a number of tropical nuts have
recently been introduced into cultiva-
ton in this country. Already on the
east coast of Florida are growing 25O,-
900 cocoanut trees, 49, 600 being in one
plantation. It 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, as certain ancient
trees now standing bear witness. In
1877 bark freighted with cocoanuts
was caught in a storm Oft 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 I'M
petus to cultivation.
The first importa ton 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 80 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 a skilled
botaniSt, who made a tour for the pur-
pose. The nuts thus received We're
forwarded to growers in Florida. Ger
tain specimens from the Islands of
Albay and Misa mis- 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 va
riety called ''tayomamis' is prepared
as a delicious sweetmeat with yams
and syrup. Another variety, on ac-
known as "bahan," which means mill
stone.
The word cocoanut is derived from
the Portuguese ''coco," meaning mon
key, because the base resembles a
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 stuf1ing
beds, cushions, chairs and saddles. 1t
| 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 ~E..rop opeansaaMouldee ee1aaplo oyy.nails,
| The green nuts are grated for medic.
inal use. Grated coccanut forms al
ingredient of the East Indian condi-
ment curry. In the Maldive islands
labor is usually paid fci. in coc0anuts
The chief manufactured product de-
rived from the cocoanut is oil, valued
at Z cents a 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 4 substitute
| for butter. 1t is used by natives of
the Pacific islands for burning in theil
lamps. The kernels of the nuts, bro.
ken and dried, are called 'dopra" One
thousand cocoanuts yield 500 pounds
Of copra, from which are ebalned
| twenty-five gallons of oil. A good tree
yields 100 eocoanuts 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.