Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1898-04-03

cohol, rum and other such things. During
MS last TIP ne was shH,n a plant which
a Was said a6 I to se sir T9 on maHa smesie f., He ds
it for himself and a partner. and they
agreed together that they would test the
virtues Of the plant by drinking a cup;
seemed not at all bad As it went down..
A m later both men made a rush for
side out, and as MI. Mansfield expressed it.
they thought that even their heels were
coming up through their threats. There is
a fruit something like a melon sold in the
gestant, and which, I am told, has almost
as much pepsin in 1t as a pigs stomach
lechemieI tree. the sap of which is like
cows milk and has the same nutritious
properties. Then in some provinces the Gin
cacao. from which comes our chocolate.
An American Cocoanut Plantation.
Along the lcwlands Of Colombia there are
plenty Of c%ocoanut trees. The %cocoanuts,
you know. grow on a palm tree. They are
to be seen by the bushel along the Isthmus
of Panama, hanging close to the stem of
the tree. away up at the top, often as high
as thirty feet above the ground. where the
great palm leaves spring out. It is only
lately that men have gone into cocoanut
raising as a business. and I am told that
planted in Florida There is q big cocoanut
plantation owned. by an American in part
nership with a Colombian on the Light
ers land at Colon. The American is the
Mr.. Hyatt, Of Washington, Of whom 1 hav
spoken as being connected with the big
and others. Mr.. Hyatt tells me that the
they have already planted 1000 trees and
shipping from 5000 to 2O.G0 nuts a month
to New York, and within three years from
now. when the rest of their trees will be In
fruit. they expect the orchard to produce
1900 nuts a month. Cocoanut trees. you
know. bear all the year round. and the bios
SONS and the ripe nuts are on the tree at
but drop from the tree when they are ripe,
and the workmen go daily from tree to tree
and pick up the nuts. husk them, and they
from so to SIS a thousand in New York.
and the greater part OF this Is clear profit
How Cocoanuts Are Raised.
I asked Mr.. Hyatt to tell me something
Of the expense and management of such
an orchard Said he:
ut costs very little to run it. We are
now paying out, all told. only o $50
a month. and our receipts are from $500 to
$500 a month. You see. the trees need
practically no cultivation, and after they
to gather and snip the nuts. We have
one part of the plantation which we call
the nursery. Here we raise the young
trees t5s sro The \ sso are placed on the TOP Ty. Of
in a short time each nut sends out a sprout
from one Of the little eyes or holes which
are found in one end Of it. The sprout
shoots up into the air and a root shoots
down into the ground. Within a few
months. without any attention whatever.
the sprout grows from two to three feet
ing. This is done by breaking OFF the root
and putting the nut and sprout into a
little hole in the ground just a little deeper
than the thickness of the nut. We press
the earth around it and the planting Is
done We set the trees out about fifteen
feet apart. For the first three years we
but after this they are left to take care
Of themselves. They begin to bear at about
seven years Of age and keep on bearing
for many years. A good tree should drop
about seventy-fve nuts a year. and many
Of ours do much better than hat"
Queer Institutions in Panama.
I found Panama one Of the queer towns
of the world. It is like q little city of old
Spain. and looking at IT from the harbor
it makes you think of Venice. The houses
along the sea hang out over the water,
and the waves dash In some places agains,
their walls. The streets Of Panama wind
in and out, up hill and down. The houses
are close to the narrow sidewalks, and
every house has an o%veErhansing porch Q!
story. so that you are protected from the
sun as you walk along the streets. The
richer classes live on the upper floors. The
to the stores. Few of the Ground-fooI
rooms have windows. and you can look In
the open door as you pass through the
streets and see all sorts of household op.
e~rations going on. Here a woman is comb
ing her hair. there one is sewing. and q
little further on one Is cutting up beef fol
her breakfast stew. The stores have nt
display windows, and the goods seem to be
piled about without regard to show or or
der. There are no fixed prices, I am told
and most of the trading is a matter o.
dickering: The Grand Central hotel wher'
I stopped. was opposite the Cathedral o.
Panama, and facing the plaza, about which
the soldiers paraded in the morning and IL
which the band played at night.
Sunday In
I happened to be in Panama on Sunday