The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-06-07
RAISING COCOANUTS.
The Tree. Its Peculiar Growth, It's
CrOn md IL Flowers.

Crop and Its Flowers.
In planting cocoanut groves such nuts
as are wanted for planting are gathered
into heaps or placed under sheds. where
they are allowed to remain until the
Sprou, shows itself through the huSk.
When planted in regular order, holes
about three feet deep and from II to 80
feet apart are dug. In the hole the nut is
placed with care and covered with about
one foot of soil. The hole is filled grad
ually as the Sprout grows until it reaches
the surface, when it is left to itself, re-
quirine no further attention.
Should the place where the cocoanut is
planted be any great distance from the
Seashore, quantity of salt is sometimes
placed in the hole. and sometimes scraps
OF old iron. as, being strictly a salt water
loving tree, it will thrive but short dis
tance from the scaShore. nearneSS to salt
water being absolutely essential to its
welfare. In fact, it is said no magnet is
truer to the pole than are the roots of the
cocoanut tree to the ocean, for when the
root breaks through the husk it points
directly toward the sea. no matter in
what position the nut is placed in the
ground.
Boring its way downward. the root
fastens itself so deeply and firmly in the
ground that no tornado, no matter how
severe, has ever been known to wrench il
from its moorings. But the hurricanes so
frequent in the tropics will often twist
the trunks and carry the broken portions
long distance, thus ending that cocoa
nut palm, as it will not sprout a second
time.
Gould you examine cocoanut when in
the process Of sprouting you would find
directly beneath the sprouting eye a
small. white mushroom shaped kernel,
and in this little germ lies the life of the
future tree. Shut up in its prisonlike
shell, and the shell surrounded bv many
inches of thick. tough and tangled fiber,
how IS 1t to work its way out and perform
the duty assigned to it. for it is apparent
Iy soft and tender as a haby's hand?
Soon its tiny fingers begin boring their
way out of the weakest eye; then, rcnd.
ing the tough. woody fiber right and left.
1t forces itself to the surface ana com
mences the campaign of life. sending its
shoot upward to form the tree and down
ward to form the roots, still clinging TO
IT'S parent for support, until the entire
INSIDE OF its shell is filled with a round,
baIl-hke substance that is formed by the
concealed milk of the cocoanut.
From 1t the roots. fast forming, re-
ceive their staff of life until the mother
| coke becomes exhausted and. having full
| hlled her mission, is deserted by her off
spring and left useless mass of fiber.
On goes the tree, sending deep into the
ground its roots and high into the air its
trunk until after a lapse of from five to
elght years 1t has attained a height of
from 40 to 60 feet and then pays tribute
TO Mother Earth by bearing its first fruit
and under favorable circumstances con.
tlnuing to yield for more than half a CEN
fury. giving its owner from 100 to 200
marketable nuts year
Through the center of the trunk of tho
cocoanut tree is soft. ibrous heart
which furnishes the life of the tree and
acts as a great pump in forcing to the
nuts the immense quantity Of water re-
quired to fill them. This fbrous heart
has a wonderful fltering power. for no
matter in what location the tree may be
growing. either upon the beach or in the
maIarial swamps near the pools of stag
nant water, when nature has done her
| WIN SAlS tepOSIlS III the COCOauut n spar
King liquid as clear as crystal and as cool
as II drawn from the deepest well in our
northern yards. Having no particular
season for fruiting, but bearing all the
year round. blossoms. ripe and green fruit
may be found on the same tree.
The blossom Of the cocoanut is a most
beautiful and peculiar work of natures
art. Appearing at the base of the long,
ragged leaves is gourdlike sheath. green
IN color and standing erect until its own
weight causes it to bend downward,
where it hangs until the seams it in
| closes. which are to bear and sustain the
nuts, are sufficiently matured to proceed
on their journey without protection.
When this outer covering splits open. il
reveals cluster of ragged stems. upon
each of which you will find miniature co.
coanuts. requiring about IA months to
ripen.