The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-07-26
GIANT CORN AND KoLAS.
THE WONDERFUL AFRICAN NUTS
TO BE TRIED IN FLORIDA.


plant may be turned to most valuable ac-
count in this country. It is very prolific
and bears ears Of huge dimensions. The
species is quite distinct from any known
in North America. and the name yea
amylacea' has been given to 1t. All Of
our corn comes under the head Of yea
mais." Professor L. l.. Sturtevant is now
making study of this remarkable Peru
Wan cereal. with a view to finding out how
1t may be cultivated most advantageous
Iy.
The grains are extraordinarily starchy
even for corn; hence the name "amyIacea."
Already ten distinct varieties Of the species
have been ascertained. one of them would
probably be excellent for canning, mas
much as II contains an unusual percentage
of sugar. 1t has been named yea amyla-
cca saccharata." Undoubtedly the species
is derived from the same source as the
maize Of the United States All known va
rietics Of this cereal. It is believed. came
originally from tho yea tunicata." or
clothed" corn, which stin grows wild in
Mexico Each grain on an ear of this prim-
tive maize IS enclosed in a littlehusk.
1t is believed that the earliest home OF
the maize plant was the highlands Of Cen
trail Mexico. The vegetable originated in
a circumscribed locality. above 4.50O feet
elevation, north Of the Isthmus OF Teh-
uantepec and south Of the twenty-second
degree OF north latitude. near the anc ent
seat of the Maya tribes. The MGyas
were the first 20 cultivate it, and from
them the use Of il spreac north and south.
Probably corn was known along the Rio
Grande by 700 A. ID. Three hundred years
later II had reached the coast Of Maine.
In Peru the Incas grew IL before the year
zoo. The tCmbs Of ancient Peruvians are
commonly found to contain maize They
built great irrigation works TO help the
cultivation of corn.
Hope of the discovery OF a new and val
liable cereal has been raised by the fruit
Ing this season Of the common cane of the
southern canebrakes This is an extra
ordinary event. only very rarely does
the cane produce seed. its ordinary method
Of propagation being Ike that OF sugar
cane. by underground roo -stOcks. This
year farmers In the south have gathered
thousands Of bushels of the seeds for fod-
der. 1t is likely that they would serve
exccllently for human food. If the plant
could be induced to bear annually.
Whether or not it could be persuaded by
gard is an open question. The farmers
clam that the seeds win not terminate,
but experiments made within the last
few weeks by the department of agri-
culture prove that they 10 sprout, though
they are very slow about il. The root
sent out by the seed Is enormously long
compared with the little green shoot
A man in Illinois has applied 10 the de-
partment of agriculture for seeds of BAN
boos He wants 20 grow them on islands
In the Mississippi river. believing that the
culture would be profitable for the wood
and other uses. Bamboos, however are
usually propagated from cuttings of the
roots; they rarely fruit. The cane above
referred to Is n species Of bamboo which
might be expected TO thrive in the milder
ATTITUDES Of this country Two Of these
have been found hardy in New England.
number of successful bamboo planta-
lions have already been established in
Southern California. Bamboos are util-
lied for making water pipes, ship rig
ging, carts, boxes. mats. cordage and pa
per. Furniture manufactured from the
stems IS much in fashion at present. An
Indian species sometimes attain a hight
OF forty feet in as many days
quite q number OF tropical nuts have
been recently introduced into cultivation
in this country. Already. on the east
coast Of Florida are growing 10000 cocoa
nut trees 1900 being in one plantation.
1t is believed that the FIRST trees Of this
kind in that 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,
cocoanuts were planted at an early day,
as certain ancient trees now standing bear
witness. In 1877. a bark, freightcd with
cocoanuts, was caught in storm off the
coast of Florida, and beached near Lake
Worth Of ~
were saved and planted, the satisfactory
growth of the seedlings giving an i'm
petus to the 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 nuts from the Phillip
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 collected by
a skilled bOtaniSt who made a tour for
the purpose. The nuts thus received were
forwarded to growers in Florida. Certain
specimens from the islands Of Albay and
Misamsis were of the smallest known va
riety which yields little oil and is of in
ferior flavor. The shells are carved by the
natives into beautiful drinking cups. The
meat of a variety called "tayomamis" Is
prepared as a delicious sweetmeat with
vans and syrup Another variety, on ac-
count of it's extreme hardness is known as
"bahan." which means milestone.
The word cocoanut is derived from the
Portuguese "coco," meaning monkey, be-
cause the base resembles a monkeys face.
The tree was known to the people of Cey-
lon as early ae 100 b. c., the milk being
used by them for making cement. The CO.
coanut 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 pre-
ferred 10 horsehair for stufiing beds. cush>
ions, chairs and saddles II is stronger
and more elastic than hemp. The Poly
nesians twist small cords OF this fiber,
which serves In the construction of houses
and canoes where Europeans would en-
ploy nails. The green nuts are grated for
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