The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-08

coCoanut fibre, and likewise brooms. The
uses OF the ocoanut are various.
"FOr many years, in fact since way back
cocoanuts la been imported in some
numbers n they were to be found for sale
in grocery stores and elsewhere, as they
still arb, n children used to buy them
and take them home and bore a hole through
the eyes and Dour the milk out into a tea
cup and drink hat. and then get father TO
break the cOooanut with ahatchet.a and hen
they'd e0t the meat, as children still do.
The number OF the cOcOanuts imported
for such and other retail demands is con-
siderable, but still il isn't a drop in the
bucket to the number o imported for
manufacturing uses.
SNithout stopping To look up the figures
exactly. 1 should say that there are now
imported to New NOrk about thirty million
~cocoanuts annually. some Of these from
wild or natural growth trees, and some
from planted and cultivated trees, for the
cocoanut il now cultivated; and il might
be mentioned in passing that a c%ocoanut
plantation is called a cocoanut walk.
"Of this enormous importation of cocoa
nuts by FAR the greater proportion goes to
manufacturers, and the greater share Of
This to the manufacturers OF prepared
coccanut for domestic and other cooking
uses. Formerly the housewife who wanted
TO use %cocoanut for pies or cakes or pud-
uAnkb ubfu ~ kEhtc " ncEschs NOW I've
vast majority OF all users Of cocoanut buy
the manufactured product all ready pre-
pared for use, and the manufacture OF this
is a trade in which many people find EN-
plOyment.
"Cocoanuts to be used in making pre-
pared cocoanut are put, a lot OF them to-
gether. into iron crates in which they are
subjected 20 a steam hath. This swells
The outside she'll a little IN at the same
time contracts the meat within and tends
"a 81 - -
from the shell.
From the steam hath the nuts 20 to the
man who opens them; sometimes in
the steam bath the shells of the nuts. or
some Of them, may crack. which facilitates
by 30 much the work OF the opener.
Father used to crack the cOooanut with
a Ratchet. The professional cocoanut
opener uses an implement that In much
like a solid steel oyster knife. having at
one end the heavy iron handle and at the
other end the blade. With the heavy end Of
this the opener taps the cocoanut and
cracks the shell and takes it of. or IL any
or all Of il still adheres to the meat he prizes
it of with the knife end OF the implement.
leaving the round globe Of cOcoanut meat
unbroken, but still covered with its familiar
brown outer skin.
"In these days there are men who work
regularly at ocOanu opening lust as they
might at any other employment, though
one somewhat unusual feature OF the cocoa
nut openers Work II tnat tney DeSin W az
IA. NJ; this so that sufficient stock may he
prepared daily in advance for the other
workers to begin on. An expert cocoanut
opener can open 1000 nuts a day.
"rhe shells removed, other workers take
the whole nut meats n spokeshave OF
that brown outer skin, and then the white
round globe Of cooOanut meat is put into
a machine and Quartered. In these quarter
sections the meat Is inspected for the
rejection Of nuts not sound and sweet,
and then il Ia sterilized. after which IL is
ready for the various further processes
involved in shredding and drying N