Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1899-11-18
NO WkSTE.N THE COCOANu1
How the Various Parts of the Prod
uc: Are Utilized For Profit.


Chinese pToycrh says that the cocoa
nut tree las many properties as there
are days in the year. The fruit of the
tree is the only part imported into Cali
forn.a. and il is now pat 10 many and
widely different uses not one atom being
thrown away. One local importer re-
cciv"s abu1t 10000 cocoanuts month.
Only small portion of them is kept for
the green trade" as il is called when
the nut Is sold in its original state, the
greater hulk passing 10 the factory. where
the husS Is renewed and the inner nut is
steamed To facilitate the removal OF the
meat. About 81 boys and girls are EN-
ployed there in perl'ns of the thin brown
skin. This is carefully preserved and sent
to the oil and lead works. where a sub
stance resembling lard and known as CO.
coanut buttcr is extracted. This is work
cd into Mi sorts Of toilet articles.
The white. mcaty part OF the nut. after
being washed. is thrown into different
machines tc hc ground according TO the
quality required. some grinding it almost
as fne ~ flour. others cutting IL into
strips half an inch wide. The next proc
cSs is the cooking. which is done in inn
mensc brass kettles continuously reyolv-
ing to insure an even result. Only the
milk contained in the heart Of the nut is
uscl IN the cooking After the nut Is
sufficiently co0kc,- that is. when the
moisture has wholly evaporated-th pulp
is placed in shallow iron pans and dried
in driving closets. and the ''desiccated Co
cnanut' of commerce is the result. which
enters into many different confections.
That part ~ the cocpanut whose prop
critics are not 81 we'll known in California
is the outer covering. or husk. The inner
woody she'll of this makes excellent fuel.
If Won a-c iu.i'atrh into the mysteries. or
rather trickS ~ the trade. you will also
know that il does 4 ~ as spice" How
spicy il really is depends upon what is
mixed with e: ~ any rate. il is too good
fucl 10 hc thrown away. But the tbrous
outer she'll uf the cocoanut was until very
recently thrown into the hay. to float OF
and finally disfgurc the surrounding
beaches.
There is now a factory on the Berkeley
shore Of the hay which uses this despised
husk in the manufacture of another use
ful commercial commodity. II is tho only
factory of its kind in California. and IL
assumes position IF pecul ar Importance
when il i remembered that il is convert
ing what was previously considered waste
mattcr. which was hard 10 get rid of and
which hill fair to become a nuisance. into
an article of great utility. Out Of this
husk a very aromatic. perfectly sanitary
and springy material is being made to
serve ns 4 substitute in mattress making
for the unSanitary curlcd hair.
TIE huSk "f the cocoanut shell contains
fihrous material which really makes ex-
ccllcnt furniture and mattress filling. IL
is infinitely superior to shoddy. This in
/. H.
Twenty-Five per cent of the husk is hair
or fiber: the rest is dust. but not even this
dust is wasted. for nurScrymen have
found that it makes an excellent covering
for winter flower beds The first process
through which the husk is put is that Of
crushing This is accomplished by ma
chine resembling rock crusher and
sounding very much like one when at
work. driven 10y 4 Ia horsepower engine.
This is called tie picker. The husk comes
ont of il rs dust and coarse hai-like fiber.
with here and there a remnant of shell.
This is picked over by boys and thrown
| again into the picker.
When il comes out second time. q
portion Of il r. twisted into n rope by
machine called the twiSter. When about
! 100 feet of this rope is made. il is tied up
| into Il bundl, and hung in steam box.
After being thoroughly steamed these
bundles are dried in room heated TO 10
degrees. While 50 treated the fiber is
still kept in the shape Of rope. II is by
this process that the fiber is curled and
gets its springy quality. The twisted
fiber is then put through the picker a
third time. and when il is thrown out il
looks rs light as down and settles into the
sweetest. most aromatic heap imaginable.
for il retains its pleasant woody and
spicy odor which alone ought TO make il
IN ideal material for mattress filling in
dependent of its more important sanitary
properties The price Of this cocoanut
fiber ranges from 81. TO 10 cents pound.
1t has lately hccn listed as an article OF
commerce. So that il is now one of the es-
tabliShcd Industries OF this coast.-San
| Francisco Chronicle.