298 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



Skhtembek 19, 1908. 



PALM TREES AND THEIR USES. 



The great value of different species of palms to 

 dwellers in the tropics is well known, and the special 

 uses which dift'cront members of this family serve are 

 discussed in the May number of Tropicul America. 



The variety of j)alm whir-li fir.st receives attention is the 

 cocoa-nut {Cocos micifera), probably the commonest and 

 most useful of all the palms. As is well known, this tree 

 ttourishe.s best on sandy sea-beaches, and this no douVit 

 accounts for its wide distribution, since the cocoa-nuts falling 

 fnini the tree into the .sea have been carried long distances 

 and tinally washed up on beaches, where they have germin- 

 ated. The young seedling grows readily, and its roots .soon 

 get a firm hold on the soil. 



The stem of the cocoa-nut palm is very strong and tough, 

 and is composed of closely interwoven fibres in a hard and 

 almost horny outer bark. The ti'ee commences to bloom 

 when from three to ten years old ; it conies into full Ijearing 

 at about eleven or twelve years old, and yields continually 

 until from 80 to 100 years of age. 



Every part of the cocoa-nut tree is made to serve some 

 useful jnirpose. The trunk is used for posts, fences, and in 

 building house.s, the leaves form a thatch for houses, and 

 bedding for horses and cattle, while door-mats, coarse cloth, 

 etc., are manufactured from the fibre of the husk, t'ocoa- 

 nut milk Is a very refre.shing drink, and the dried meat of the 

 nut forms the copra of commerce, while the expressed oil is 

 valuable for cooking ]iurposes as well as for soap manufacture. 

 Further, when fermented and distilled, the .sap of the cocoa- 

 nut tree furnishes the alcohfdic drink known in the Ea.st as 

 ' ariack.' 



The Koyal palm (()n'<ido.ni regia) is probably the most 

 graceful and lieautiful of all the members of the family. The 

 full-grown tree sunietinu's reaches 80 or even 100 feet in 

 height. 



Tlir cabl>age palm (Orcodo.ra olcrarca) is nearly allied to 

 the l!i>yal palm, and from it is obtained the 'mountain cab- 

 bage.' This consists of the heart j)ortion of the crown before 

 the young leaves composing it have unfolded. Its removal 

 causes the death of the tree. As in the case of the cocoa-nut 

 jialni, the trunks of the Hoyal and cabbage palms are used for 

 building dwellings, while tlie leave.s are employed for thatch- 

 ing the roofs. 'J'lie fruit of these palms consists of bunches 

 of small purple or dark-green berries, which are nnu-h used 

 in making preserves and pickles. 



Other u.-ieful sj)ecies which resemble tin- lloy:il palms 

 and are related to them, are the trees known in St. Vincent 

 and Dominica as ' gru-gru ' and ' maho ' respectively. As 

 with th(' Royal and calibage palm.s, the trunks of the.se latter 

 varieties are used for building purposes, while from the leave.s 

 of the maho jialm, water|iroof baskets are woven by the Caribs, 

 and they are also utilized in the manufacture of sieves through 

 which cassava meal is grated. 



Another class of palm of wliidi the Talipot (Vori/iilin 

 ■iimlirijciiliftm) is the largest an<l most remarkable, is .stout 

 and bushy in ajijicarance, while the leaves are large and fan- 

 xhajied. The conunon jialni leaf fans are made from the 

 foliage of these trees and in many )iarts ot the West Iiulies, 

 notably in I'orto liico and San Domingo, the leaves are 

 manufactured into hats, baskets, bags, trays, etc. The leaves 

 of the Talipot palm on attaining matiuity, whicli does not 

 occur until the tree is about thirty years old, are 8 or 10 

 feet long by 12 or 14 feet in width. 



The date-palm (Phnenir darti/lifera) is another most 

 ii.seful member of the palm familv. It is a native of Africa 



and south-west Asia, but has been introduced into Tropical 

 America and the West Indies. A date palm at the Donuniea 

 Botanic Station yielded fruit of very gootl quality last season. 

 From the ivory palm of Colombia (Phi/tetepluis nmcro- 

 nirpa) (see AifricuHural Seirx, \o\. Xll, p. 58), the vegetablfr 

 ivory of commerce is obtained. When young the .seeds or 

 nuts are filled with a milky fluid that later hardens into- 

 a firm, finegrained albuminous substance, which for many 

 piu'poses has all the requirements of animal ivory. 



PREPARATION OF PLANTATION 



RUBBER. 



In consequence of the uncertainty which still 

 exists as to the best methods of preparing plantation' 

 rubber for the market, an abstract of a circular on the 

 subject issued some time ago by Messrs. Lewis & Peat, 

 rubber brokers of London, may not be without interest. 



Messrs. Lewis & Peat state that they ha\e lately received 

 consignments of rubber biscuit,s from Ceylon and other coun- 

 tries in a heated and sticky condition. This may be due in some 

 jiart to the fact that the late.x was taken from very young 

 trees, but is more often owing to defective preparation, more 

 especially the e.xtraction of t(jo much moisture. Bacteria are 

 frequently the direct cause of bringing about an unsatis- 

 factory state in prepared rubber. 



It is pointed out that the smoked rubber from Brazil, 

 prepared in the .same manner as has been practised for the 

 past fifty years, still continues to be the best quality on the 

 market, on account of its ela.sticity and durability. These 

 qualities are thought to be due to the process of fumigation 

 with smoke from nuts of various tropical trees which the 

 late.v luidergoes in preparation. The fumes have an anti- 

 septic action on the rubber, and [)revent the development of 

 bacteria which are, in many cases, responsible for the 

 deterioration of the product. The fumes of such antiseptic 

 agents as creo.sote, corrosive sublimate, etc., may be used in' 

 preparing the rubber, with undoubtedly beneficial results on 

 the character of the latter. 



It has been mentioned that tlii' extraction of too much 

 moistiu-e tends to bring about deterioration in rubber, and 

 this is more especially seen in connexion with the elasticity 

 of the prodtu;t, which is much reduced. It is also noticed 

 that rubber of this character becomes .soft and sticky if left 

 shut up for some time, or if it is e.xposed to a high tempera- 

 ture. 



( )n the other luinil, if an excess of water remains in the 

 rubber decay is liable to take place, and fumigation of the 

 product is reconuuended. 



To ensure good residts, planters are advised by .Messrs. 

 T>ewis it Beat to treat their rubber with an antiseptic agent, 

 either by adding a small atnount i>f the latter material direct 

 to the latex, or to .submit the latex to the funu's of the 

 disinfecting agent. It is al.so recommended that rubber 

 be prepared in the form of thin sheets rather than in blocks 

 or l>iscuits. 



It is stated that acting under the above advice, .smoked 

 rubber from several Ceylon estates has been sent to England, 

 but it i.s not yet known whether this product has commanded 

 a higher price than that prepared without the use of antiseptic 

 agents. Since tlie adoption of the fumigation process would 

 cause a .small amount of extra expense and labour, the 

 majority of planters are waiting to .see the results of the.se 

 first trials before they themselves take it up. 



