The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-03-23
COCOA PALM MEETS
ALL OF MANS NEEDS
Feeds. Clothes, Shelters and ntoxl-
Gates Him at Small Cost III the

W 1iCII u ~ 1
ing of the Panama canal to commerce
are attracting a number OF fortune
seeking Americans to the Canal Zone
and it's vicinity is that or cocOanut
raising. |
THE cocoanut has as many uses as
there are days in the year" reads an
enthusiastic communication to the
Department Of Agriculture from one
who has q >ocoanut plantation la1d
out and partly planted a short dist
ance frc1n the Canal Zone proper;
"People in America arc under the m
preston that the CoCnanut IS SOoc
only for pastries ana such things, and
| have a vague idea that, possibly. CO.
coauut oil comes from cocOaCuts. Eut
! thar IS only because there never have
! been e2ough cocoanuts sen. to North
America for the people 70 learn OF
| the hundreds rr uses 20 which :hey
| are put in The tropics and some other
| places, and as q result Of TIE b2Cr:
in the cocoanut Industry III Central
| America Gt the present time the
United States is defined TO learn soon
tina: 1t .>oU1d have used advantageous
~ { hurdred times as many c~ocOanuts
as i has q the past
TIE v~iter .eIs of some o? Inc uses
os the tropical nut with which A,neri-
cans are as yet unfamiliar, saving
that N Germany a very satisfactory
butter IS c~ade rom it3 oil. and that
in the t-Orics vinegar is made from
the juice obtained from the Hcshy
500 the IN which the blossom Is in
closed rs an enterprise. Ne So IS, the
raising of c~Ocornu: palms is especial
ly attractive because every incl Of
the palm and its products can % gut
20 practical use.
Commencing" :2 caYa, with Ihe
root OF the tree. therc IS extracted
from il 3 febrifuge: tho trunk is used
for house and hoar building ana fer
making lath and furniture: the lower
part Of the stem becomes very HARD
and takes g beautiful polish under
tt eatment, the finished product being
knoUn to the market rs as p~rcupine
wood and beire in great loer1and for
the manufacture of fancy cabinet
articles. An oil is extracted from the
bark which IS used as q l:nim.nt in
~outaneous diseases: the undevcloped
leaves are cut out OF the Eoart IF the
2 trees crown and eaten as We eat cab
) hage: tie brown ih1ous network
: around the base Of the leaves is used
! for sleeves anc Tor making crude
l garments and f;hermen's nets, and
by h natives is woven into odd.
shaDed bOnnets, used for cushion
stuffing. mattresses. and like
and the fully developed leaves are
: used for mating. baskets. torches
e roofing, hrooms. fuel. and fodder fo7
$ cattle. The stem Of the leaf. O.
netiole, is used for fencing, fishins
s rods. and walking sticks; the leaves
r when dried. are made into plated
t mats and screens.
d "a iiouid obtained from the flower
g resembling watery milk and calle,
'foddy.' is sweet and cooling whe1
e. fresh and becomes intoxicating afte
g exposure to the atmosphere. It is re
fined into arrack. Medicine and sweet
le meats are made from the unripe nut
~ ana it's milk is used for drinking an,
q dessert. Its husk is made into a sor
< Of preserves. Cocoanut oil. which it
self is used for almost innumerabl
purposes-in the manufacture @
- soaps OF hig1 quality. for cookins
>, iubrlcatine purposes. hair oil. and i
llnements. among others-is obtaina
nt ny boiling and evaporating the mil
* OF the r1pened nut. The uses OF tn
If meat Of the ripened nut are we
~ known in America. but il is not gener
ne ally known that the shells, pulverizet
Of are used for tooth powder. ARTICLE
coffee, medicine, and many other on,
Id poses, and that when burned the
make excellent charcoal and lam
he black. The external husk Of the nj
IS soaked III water and then beate
k into a strong fiber called coir. whic
ell IS used for cables, ropes, floor mat
fuel. and similar The hi:
torian Remnant did not exageerat
when he said that from the cocoan
Il pe'n: g ship can be built and Iade
his too
To- Tho opening Of the canal u.
g vita'n the reach Of proftah
o7 ~etcos,nIs cultivation thousands
> acres OF virgin soil along the Goa
rs, of ehc (a.lhbeo, .,d ood
RS g? Cn,trol ..,o.aa west Goa
ar IN r,,.o,nn.a o,s costa XIX
r'rcSA'iEtS Increases with the deve1o,
~ mart OF thlS territory America v
ia becoFne Hiore II more familiar wi,
~, sheH Taan? uses ard the demand ~
increase il proportion.