| Show THE USEFUL TREE the cocoanut coco anut palm is is one of the inott useful trees in in the world lu in some of the countries in which it grows grow the in inhabitants would ba be almost incapable of existing without it the palms lifford tifft tiffi ird food clothing furniture weapons and all the implements and appliances that raise men above tiie ilia sava savage a state the very young youn leaves called lib the lie cabbage arean are an excellent vegetable for the table tile the old dried leaves are u used sed as torches and at one of the friendly F r bendly island combs gombs are made of the midrib of ti the a segments the upper part bein being beautifully worked with the fabre fibre of the h bark the washer me men of ceylon burn the foliage for the sake of its al il kalies aslies ashes the midribs of the leaves when tied together form brooms for the he decks of ships the Cin oin galese use the unexpanded leaves in for ming ornaments oil on the occasion of any festival decorating arches etc in various various picturesque forms of crowns flowers etc thero there is one portion of the tree which attracts much the attention of the observer i 1 is is a kind of network at the base of the petiole which ahert w hen very young is 13 delicate beautifully white and but when having attained maturity becomes coarse and tough and changes to a brown color it is is stripped off ju iii ili large pieces and used in pi ceylon as strainer strainers particularly for the toddy which is is full of impurities when finst first taken from the tree at tahiti it is is called aa a and besides being used as sieves for straining arrowroot arrow root cocoa nut oil etc tile the natives when whan engaged in in such occupations as digging fishing etc in order to save sava their bark cloth eloth join several portions of this network together and having a hole in the centre in in a manner similar to their mat garment called wear weir it as an article of apparel A tree produces several bunche nuts nuts and from twelve to twenty large nuts besides everal several small unproductive ones may be seen on each bunch banch in good situations the fruit is 13 gathered four our or five fi ive lve times in in the course of the year it is mostly used as an article of food both meat and drink when young in in that state it fields 5 felds all an abundance ance of delicious cooling beverage to which winch madeira wine wine brandy etc is is sometimes added the rind of the cocoa nut is is very fibrous aad and is is manufactured into the coir rope which is so e extensively used for matting brushes etc this rope surpasses hemp bemp in lightness elasticity and and even it is is said in in durability its elasticity combined with great strength renders it peculiarly acu valuable worships for ships cables the oil is is another valuable production of tho the cocoanut coco anut besides being excellent for burning it is is made into candles ri those of wax or spermaceti soap may be manufactured with it and in the pacific islands it is used as an ointment for the face and the hair |
