The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-10-10
MOST FAMOUS OF ALL PALMS.
The Coco de Mer Which Bears the
Biggest MT I'm the World.

| II, d
famous of all palms, and one Of tho
rarest In cultivation, has been placed
for public admiration after three
years In the propaRating house,
whore II arrived as Seeding. This
is the double cocoanut, the coco de
mer, the coco de Salomon, the coco
des Maldlves of the French.
1t attains height OF 80 or 90
feet, and Is surrounded by a beauti-
ful crown of winged and palmated
leaves. The diameter of the trunk
| varies from IL to 5 inches, and the
whole Is so flexible that II sways In a
| strong breeze. The leaves attain a
I, length of 20 feet, and even 80 feet,
| with breadth of 10 or Il feet, and
! open like fan. The fruit Is the
largest which any tree produces. 1t
| frequently Is IS inches In length,
with a circumference of feet, and
| sometimes weighs 40 or so pounds.
remarkable circumstance con-
| nccted with the tree Is the length OF
| time necessary to mature It's fruit
| and the long duration OF the bloom.
| 1t bears only one spadlX in each
year, and yet has often as many as
| dozen in bloom at once. 1t has flow
| ers and fruit of all ages at one time.
Un,I the year 1743, when they
were seen on the trees In the only
| spot where they grow. the nuts were
! known solely from having been
| found floating In the Indian Ocean
| OF the Maldive Islands. They were
found in no other place In the world.
| The reason was that the trees grew
on the shores of the Seychelles, and
large quantities of the great fruit,
falling into the water, were borne to
the MGldlves By currents, the direc-
| ton Of which In those parts is east
northeast.
The nuts were always found minus
the husk and mostly with the in
! ternal part decayed. They were
called "Calappa Laut' by the Dutch.
and under that appellation Rum
phius has given a historical account
of them. The double cocoanut, he
says, is not a terrestrial production,
which may have fallen by accident
into the sea and there become petri-
aed, but fruit probably growing IT.
self In the sea, whose fruit hitherto
has been concealed from the eye OF
| man.
The Malay and Chinese sailors
! ! used to affirm that 1t was borne upon
tree deep under water. which was
similar to a cocoanut tree, and was
visible in placid bays upon the coast
of Sumatra, etc, but that II they
sought to dive after 1t the tree In
stantly disappeared
The negro priests declared 1t grew
near the Island Of Java. where Its
leaves and branches rose above the
water, and formed the habitation OF
q monstrous bird or griffin. This grif-
fin was accustomed to sally forth
nightly and tear to pieces with It's
beak such Insignificant game as ele-
plants, rhinoceroses, and tigers. and
carry of the flesh to It's nest to feed
on at leisure. Moreover. ships were
attracted by the waves which sur
rounded the tree and were unable to
sail out Of the fatal zone. SO that the
hapless sailors fell an easy prey to
the voracious bird. Needless to say
that the Inhabitants of the Indian
Archipelago In their travels about
the ocean were careful TO give the
spot the widest possible berth.
Nowadays the crown Of the trunk
that Is, the heart Of the leaves-is
eaten like that of the American cab
bage palm. and often preserved In
vinegar; but It is less delicate and
slightly bitter. The trunk itself, al
ter being split and cleared OF Its sort
and fibrous internal parts. serves to
make water troughs as we'll as pail
sades for surrounding houses and
gardens. The foliage is employed to
thatch the roofs of houses and sheds,
and even for walls. With q hundred
leaves a commodious dwelling may
be constructed. including the partl
tions of the apartments. the doors
and windows. The down attached to
the young leaves serves for nlling
mattresses and pillows. The RIBS OF
the leaves and fibers Of the petiole
are used for making gaskets and
brooms. while the young foliage
furnishes an S6CellentI iHuSofAuA Aoi
hats.
OF the nut. vessels. OF different
forms and for various uses are made.
When preserved whole and perfora-
ted In one or two places the shells
serve to carry water. Some OF them
hold from six to eight pints, and
generally are carried suspended to
sticks, one on each end. II divided In
two between the lobes, each portion
serves. according to Its size and
shape, for plates or dishes or drink
ing cups. In European countries the
shell has been utilized for making
shaving dishes and similar articles.
1t Is black and polishes beautifully,
and generally is carved and set In
silver,
For many years attempts to in
troduce the coco de mer in the con-
servatories of the European botani-
cal gardens failed invariably. Such