The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1895-06-12
USES OF THE O0OOANUT.
II Supplies Wine and Many Kinds o
Food.


When you buy a c%ocoanut at the fruit
stall and examine it. you see three holes
at one end. One of them leads to the in
terror of the nut. and the others are but
"blinds."
Can you pick out at once the real hole?
If not. you are not, by any means, as
clever in this matter, at least, as the
robber crab. (birgus latro). This epicur@
can individual dimes every day off cocoa
nut in those green Islands Of the gilt
tering SEAS" which are the home Of
both.
the tree for the nut, but Darwin doubts
this. However that may be, having Sc
cured his prize. the crab sets at work At
once with the massive claws on his
strongly developed front legs, and tears
away the fibre.
AS soon as he has removed this he
claws on the one soft eye of the nut, and
soon pierces a hole. Then he turns round
SO as to insert the long narrow pair Of
him. and with them he cuts out piece
meal the toothsome morsels.
Few. if any, other plants afford a
nature than does the cocoanut.
A Chirese proverb tells us that there
are as many useful properties In the
%cocoanut palm as there are days in the
year. A .Polynesian adage declares that
he who plants a c~ocoanut plants meat and
drink, hearth and home, vessels and
clothing, for himself and for his chill
dren after him..
The solid portion of the cocoanllt fur
nishes thousands with necessary food in
the regions where the palm iourishes.
the pulp has. hardened. In this state
it forms a delightful drink in india,
of ice bobbing up and down IN 1t.
The sweet juices Of the flower stalk
when boiled down Yields; aasa J q 2 p peculiar 1isa sugar sugar
fermented gives the natives an mintoxi-
cant known as palm wine, toddy and
arack. It is somewhat like cider in taste,
but as intoxicating as beer.
The central shoot of the. tree or its
branches affords palm cabbage. which
they say is as good as sea kaae, and
therefore IS very good.
The kernal, under pressure yields cocoa-
nut oil. which is described as being as
good for frying as lard, and S an Tex
%cellent substitute for butter" This same
kernal may be broken into small pieces
and dried in the sun when it forms the
"copra" of commerce..
BY pressure or by boiling its Oil is ex-
tracted and IS. very valuable; 1000 full
sized nuts yield twenty-five gallons of
oil. AT ordinary temperature, cocoanut oil
Yields a liquid oil suitable for burning in
lamps, and a solid, fatty substance. The
latter IS called cocoa sterine. and is ex-
tenslVely USED IN the manufacture OF can
dies.
Cocoanut oil also forms the basis of va
r.ous kinds of soap, especially IS it use
full in marine soap, because it makes
a 1ather with sea water. In the process
of publication the oil also yields glycer-
inc.
The fbr of the covering of the nut is
known as tcoie," and can be used for a
multitude of purpeses-ropes, mating,
brushes and furniture stuffing.
The shells supplies good cups and COB
lets, which are often exduisitely carved,
and look like stained ivory.
The leaves supply the natives with
thatch for their huts. the long m.d-ribs
serving as r%afters, posts and fencing.
On the fiat blades of the leaves, as on
papyrus, the most famous Buddhist man
u~scripts have been written. The fibrous
sheath at the base is a good natural cloth
and is used for strainers, wrappers and
native hats.
The trunk supplies p%orcup.ne wood,
one of the most beautiful found in the
workshop Of the highest class of cabinet
makers.-Boston Globe.