The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-12-11
SOMETHING ABoUr coCoANUrs.
A Promising Field of Commercial Industry
Is Our New Island Possessions.

A Promising Field of Commercial Industry
Il Our New Island Possessions.
There are three stages or different con-
ditions through which the milk OF the cocoanut
passes. In each OF which 1t is excellent" said
Capt. Nathan Truelove, sometime master Of
trading craft in the South Pacific Islands. He
had paused at a fruiterer's stand and was OK
aiming a pile OF cocoanuts In the husk dis
played there with an air Of interest. THE
first Ia when the meat and milk in the green
c%ocoanut have not yet separated and are blended
together In q semi-huid pulp. about OF the con-
sistency of u water-ice, and may be scooped out
and eaten with a spoon. The second is when tho
meat is newly hardened against the inside of
the shell and the hollow within is filled with the
fragrant, cooling milk. one oil the most beautiful
and refreshing draughts that q man can find in
the tropical lands. The third stage, to which
few people outside the tropics are initiated, is
when the cocoanut ID sproutlng and the en-
bryo palm tree. formed from the milk.
and the best Of the meat lies in the hollow
that Is left, a kernel within q kernel. 30 to
speak. and one OF the daintiest morsels that a
mar ever lifted to his mouth. I was in hopes
to find q sprouting cocoanut among these. but
there is none. Here Is where the green sprouts
are to be looked form the monkeys face. as
the boys say-the three round depressions
WnlCn tney call u lOuJH uHu eSeS III Viz sinai
end OF the nut.
What we call milk in the cocoanut the South
Sea people call water. Cocoanut milk. with
them is the kernel grated fine and mixed with
this fluid. The resulting. compound is of the
delicious to the taste, 1t is so rich that one can
eat but little of i directly. and 1t is principally
used, mixed with other substances. In. prepar-
ing dessert dishes and as a frosting for cake
In the Micronesian and other tropical Pacific
island groups the cocoa palm grows everywhere
reels to give its roots q hold, and is the most
all-round useful tree there Is. Its nuts serve
the natives for food and drink and are a chief
The Juice drawn from the undeveloped
bb0 0TdIne q i sweet saS fG Snd rHis al@ in 80 the Sel taste t9 and
Is often given to .sickly or, weaving children;
When IN alI9we ,d,t to fe eT so,,tb i st 6eG foIne .toddya,,
potent liquor, resemPlinE the East india
down and sugared. the palm Juice makes the
delicious luggeree which the Javanese bum
R9d sojlors er of gs6 9qt t tba se but II IN t at B gass9nE an1
other parts of Java. The wood of the cocoa
palm, commercially known as porcupine wood,
house trimmings, and from the husks of the
nuts are made the coir rope which serves as
rigging for native craft. and is worked into
1T is in the production of copra. that the
cocoa palm has its chief commercial value.
port. to be used in the making Of oil; In earlier
times the South Sea natives grated the cocoa
nut meat and expressed the oil themselves in a
rude lever press. to barter with cruising traders
for tobacco. liquor. and. trinkets. Now the
size and shape as will enable them to
pack, it to the best advantage and is
mostly sent to regular ports Of shipment.
money. The copra is shipped. to Europe or
America to factories whore the oil is expressed
stearin Is much used in candle making, and the
oil enters largely into the marine soap which
sea water. When it is considered that 1000
nuts will make 800 pounds OF copra. which will
yield Twenty-Five, gallons Of oil. one Of the vast
possessions becomes evident"