The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-09-17
PORTO RICO'S PALMS
THEY FURNISH FOOD, CLOTHING
AND UTENSILS FOR THE
NATIVES
COCO AND "CoRozo' PALMS
Broad Palm Leaves Are Used for
Washtubs-The Gourd-Like Fruit
of the Calabash Tree Makes
Medicinal Oils Taken From Many
Trees Or. u

7SE
WASHINGTON, Sept. Elm a bulletin
to be issued by the department of agri-
culture Mr. Robert Hill gives some vaIu-
able and interesting information about
Porto Rican trees and fruits and also
the soil formation of the island. There
ere many species Of palm upon the
island, and these trees are perhaps the
most used by the natives of all the forest
products. Combined in. them are susten-
ance, clothing and utensils for the ma
tives Of the tropics. II Porto Rico the
leaf of the palm is8largely used for
thatch and sheathing of the houses Of
the poor and its broad leaves for wash
tubs and other domestic utensils.
Concerning the Moriche or Sage palm,
it has been said that when the heat Of
summer has parched everything about
this tree, travellers find at it's roots water
always cool, which escapes from sub
terranean veins. The most tender part Of
It's fruit center serves as a garden veg.
etable to the natives, and from its young
shoots they draw the cords which form
their fish nets and from which they
weave their hanmocks. IT is a refresh
ing nourishment before its fruit is ma.
tured, and when ripe 1t makes OIL soap,
end pastes, which are sweetened with
the Indians cover their huts, from it's
sprouts they manufacture mats. blankets,
hats, and sails for their vessels. The
trunk contains in its upper portion a
sweet juice, from which a kind of wine
is produced. From the trunk, boards and
sometimes small boats are made. A
natural texture which covers the cluster
Of fruit before it natures serves as caps
for men and as skirts for married
women. The palm, which does not bear
fruit, furnishes a mealy pith, which is
called yuruma, used fer making bread
and also pottage or soup. A thick, white
Worm is found in the rotten medulla,
which is eaten and considered a great
delicacy."
The yagua, or cabbage palm, grows on
the plains and in the forests. The bark
Is flexible, very durable, and serves to
cover houses and divide their Interiors,
to make chests and boxes for storing
clothing and for transporting rice and
coffee. On a journey the leaves are
taken as protection from heavy rain,
and they serve many other uses.
The royal palm is most highly priced
by Porto Ricans. Growing to 100 feet Or
more, its slender trunk is crowned neal
its summit by leaves A. green shoot
delicate and pointed, from ten to twelve
feet in length, constitutes the upper end
Of the trunk. At the base of this a fruit
cluster from three to four hands in
length, divided into different branchlets,
grow out about once month. This
cluster is full of q green, 3 olive shaped
fruit larger than the filbert, the interior
nut being covered with a green SUBJ
stance. This fruit of the royal palm is
very useful in fattening swine, which is
the only use made of it.
In other islands they extract an Gil
from this fruit which is very good for
lights and other uses. The central part
of the palm is cooked and eaten like
cabbage, and is Sometimes prepared as
salad. The Indians calie it 8 the, "pira
In Porto Rico it is rarely used, although
it has an agreeable taste.
The palms called -"copures' ere taller
even than the royal palms. The fruit
grows III clusters, but is smaller, and the
hard round nuts, much like the above
serve as food for swine. The negroes eX>
tract from this palm liquid which is
very agreeable and healthful. 1t is used
as specific in cases of fever.
The palm '.corozo'' (oil palnD is very
common. Its: tall trunk is entirely COW
cred with sharp tflorns three fingers long
At the top it is crowned by very long
fronds. Its fruit is in small clusters COM
posed of nuts as large as eggs, whose
yellow covering is very hard and bursts
when ripe. The inner nut Is white, di-
vfded into three parts less solid than the
outer shell. Its taste is agreeable, but it
sours in a short time. In Porto Rico the
| coroZo serves as food for swine, but for
eigners extract from its nuts an oil which
is medicinal and useful tor many pur-
poses.
The coco palm is found in great num-
bers on the plains and coasts, and is Il
profitable plant for cultivation. The eX-
ternal sheath of the cocoanut IS composed
of multitude of fibers which form a nap
of a reddish color, which is excellent for
calking boats as it resists water better
than tow and endures longer. The In
dams make a cordage from this fiber, and
sails for their boats, and in the dockyarGs
of Guayaquil, Ecuador, they use no other
calking material in repairing vessels Be-
meath this exterior fibrous covering is an
other, the color of chestnuts, which IS
very hard. and although elastic, is easily
broken. A fine oil made from the meat
of the cocoanut IL used for lighting and