Sierra County advocate. [volume] (Kingston, N.M.) 1884-1960, 1906-03-02
CALL CONLANU A FRUIT.
So Dsnominatsd by the Agricultural
Departmont--Number An !,
nually Imported.

The mooted question whether the
cocoanut is .licially regarded as u
nut or q fruit" has been settled in
q report on cocoanuts recently made
by the department OF agriculture AL
though known as a nut, the depart
ment characterizes 1t as "a tropical
fruit" The report says in part:
with the exception Of few hum
dred dollars worth grown annually In
Florida. no cocoanuts are produced In
continental United states. A tropical
fruit, grown almost exclusively on ISL
ands and In tropical countries border
ing upon the sea, there is little terri
tory In the United States proper adapt
ed to its cultivation. The large guam
titles OF cocoanuts and their products
consumed In this country are practi-
cally all imported.
with the acquisition OF territory
after thu close Of the Spanish Ameri-
can war there canc into the possess
Sion OF the United States number OF
is,a3,s upon which cocoanut produce
tion Is 4 considerable economic factc-.
In the Philippines 1t not only plays an
important part In the domestic econc-
my OF the people. but the expectation
OF copra (dr.ed meat of the cocoanutl
their export. trade. returning TO. the.
archipelago from $2,000.000 to $4,000
900 a year. In the small island Of Tu-
tuila. OF the Samoan group copra is
the chief article of export, upward OF
500 tons, being shipped out annually
In Porto Rico the area in cocoanuts In
1899. according to the census. was
b.441 acres. From none Of these pos
sessions. however. does the United
states now obtain any important part
OF Its heavy imports of cocoanuts and
their products.
These nuts and their products are
imported into the United S ates prin-
cipally In three forms. as cocoanuts In
the shell. as copra. and as coccanut
oil. OF these by far the most imror-
tart. as measured by value. is cocoa
rHt oil, tho deliveries from custom
houses and warehouses; for consur,p-
tia Il iie Uaiisd S,a.as IS II the al
year eafed June 30. 1893, having been
te,G5i, 800 pounds. valued al S29494 442.
These we're the heaviest imports OK
cccoanut oil ever made into the United
States. the previous high racord hav-
ing ben in 1894-1895, whcr lhe quanti-
ty delivered for consumciipn amount
ed to 31.722.014 pounds. v'lf,cd at ST.
340,208. The principal us1s to which
this oil Is put In the United States Is
In blending with other oils in ths
manufacture of soap. in confectionery.
medicinal preparations. food COM
pounds. for the preparation OF textiles
and for other purposes
Next In importance to cocoanut oil
are the imports of cocoanuts in the
she'll of which the deliveries for con-
sumption in the fiscal year 1902-1903
amounted in value to $90S,226 As to
the quantities Of nuts In the shell i'm
ported there Is no official record but
rough estimate based upon the total
value of the imports and the average
price of cocoanuts annually imported
into The United States ranges from 40.-
900 900 to 50.0o0,000 AS is we'll known,
these nuts are consumed In the United
States chiefly IN the raw state and 10
the manufacture OF confectionery, pre-
pared foods. ETC."