The most abundant cocoanut groves in the world are said to be found on
Puerto Rico and the other islands of the Antilles. This tree usually
grows near the coast, for it loves the salt water; but it is sometimes
found on the hill slopes a short distance inland.
"The tree grows to a height of from sixty to eighty feet, lives a
hundred years, bears a hundred nuts each year, and is said to have a
hundred uses for man."
The trees bear such heavy burdens of fruit that it seems impossible that
so slender a trunk could hold such a weight of fruit in the air. The
fruit is expensive when it comes to us, because of the difficulty in
climbing the trees, gathering the nuts, and removing from them the heavy
fibrous husks.
[Illustration: GATHERING COCOANUTS.]
Here is a negro gathering cocoanuts. Let us watch him. He climbs the
tall tree, dragging a rope after him. About his waist is a belt in which
is thrust a machete.
He hacks off a bunch of the nuts and attaches it to the end of the rope.
It is then lowered to another negro or to the ground. The nuts are in
bunches of a dozen or two, and are covered with a green, smooth, shining
covering.
After the bunches of nuts are all removed from the tree, the climber
throws down the rope and comes down hand over hand.
These nuts are so large that a single one often yields two glasses of
milk.
We found that the natives made boats and furniture, as well as houses,
from the trunk of this palm tree. They extract from its roots a remedy
for fever. The foot stalks of the leaves are made into combs. The leaves
are used for thatching huts and in making baskets, mats and hats.
The fibrous material at the base of the foot stalks is used for sieves,
and woven into clothing. A medicine is made from the flowers, and from
the flower-stalks palm wine is made. From the juice is made sugar and
vinegar. From the fruit or nut, water, jelly and meat are obtained. Oil
is extracted from the kernel; and the refuse is used for food for fowls
and cattle, as well as for manure.
From the husks ropes, brooms, brushes, and bedding are made. The shells
are used as lamps, cups, spoons, and scoops.
It has been called the poor man's tree because it gives him food, drink,
medicine and material with which to build his home.
The tropics could not do without the palm. It is more to that region
than the pine is to the north.