THE COCONUT PALM

Evening Star, Issue 23101, 29 October 1938, Page 30

THE COCONUT PALM

TROPIC WONDER TREE WIDE VARIETY OF USES The Australian housewife, who sprinkles desiccated coconut over the surface of some supper dainty, probably is unconscious of the fact that she is repealing in a civilised land the customs of the denizens of a tropical forest, to whom the coconut is more the foundation of existence than the mere means of tickling a fastidious palate, and where every part of the tree, from root to crown, has its own special uses in the lives of both individual and community, writes E. J. Ashbourne in the ‘ Adelaide Chronicle.’ Providence, generous and often prolific in the bestowal of gifts, has been exceptionally so in providing for the welfare of primitive peoples, and, in the provision of the coconut palm for those residing within the equatorial forest belt, has made available an article whoso uses are legion. The coconut palm is a very beautiful and lofty palm tree, growing to a height of from 60ft to 100 ft, with a cylindrical stem which, at the base, attains a thickness of about 2ft, and .terminates at the top in a crown of graceful, waving, pinnate leaves. The leaf, which may not infrequently exceed 20ft in length, consists of a strong mid-rib fringed with numerous leaflets up to 4ft long, the whole having the appearance of a gigantic feather.' IN A BATH OF FLUID. The fruit, often larger than a man’s head, matures in bunches of from 10 to 20. though not all at the one time. ■The kernel, clinging tightly to the iniside of a hard, woody shell, is kept Tioist inside by a bath of fluid, commonly called coconut milk, and protected from possible damage from outside by a thick, fibrous husk, which, when duly prepared, provides the coir of commerce. The uses to which the various parts of this palm are applied in the regions of its growth are almost endless. The nuts, before they have hardened into full maturity, provide no inconsiderable portion of the food _of the natives, who generally eat their coconut raw, although on occasions it wii! be shredded and cooked as a sauce to o-amish bananas, yams, taro, or fish. Mixed with native tapioca root, the expressed juices and oils make a kind of pudding much enjoyed by those who compound it, although it is too insipid for European tastes. . The milk of the young nuts—it bears no resemblance to milk, really, having more the appearance of lemonadeforms a refreshing, cool, and palatable drink. The juice, drawn from the unexpanded flower spathes, is brewed into “ toddy,” and, if allowed to ferment, becomes a potent spirit, known as arrack. . ~ When a tree falls, or is blown over by a hurricane, yet another edible part of the palm is available—the tight roll of tender embryonic leaves in the centre of the crown. Properly boiled, they are nutritious and similar to cabbage. , . The tree itself is, of course, valuable as timber, which is used for building, the manufacture of elementary furniture, and fuel; the leaves are plaited into fans, baskets, and even sheeting for the sides of a house; the main midrib being resinous, makes an excellent flare for night fishing; and the stiff, thin ribs of the leaflets, tied in bundles of a hundred or so, make an equally effective broom for sweeping. CAN PRESS CLOTHES. The shell of the nut is variously employed by the natives as a water vessel, or, if cut in halves, as a cup; while white women have found the heating properties of these shells second only to electricity for convenience in ironing their clothes. Of the nut itself there is still much that could be said. For instance, by churning the milk of a nut at the right stage of maturity, a fair substitute for cream (in appearance only), although the flavour is quite pleasant, can he obtained, and the milk of a nut at yet another stage will cause dough to rise as readily ns yeast. The external husk yields the coir fibre with which are fabricated ropes, coirage, matting,, and other similar articles neeesasry to native existence. For commercial purposes, however, it is the contained oil of the nut that is of principal importance, and for the production of this alone many thou,san<ls/ of plantations, owned and controlled by Europeans, have been established throughout the entire tropical belt.