USES OF THE BRAZIL NUT TREES 



783 



nuts it is nec- 

 essary that 

 the nuts be 

 left on the 

 river bank in 

 what are 

 known as 

 " p a i o e s. " 

 These paioes 

 consist of 

 cleared spaces 

 protected from 

 the hot sun 

 and tropica! 

 rains by palm 

 leaf shelters. 

 However, these 

 paioes are in- 

 adequate and, 

 in consequence, 

 the nuts sus- 

 tain more or 

 less injury at 

 this stage, according to the length of time they remain 

 in the paioes. 



In a few districts, the custom of washing the nuts 

 prevails. The method now in vogue is the same as was 

 employed generations ago. In these districts, when the 

 canoes arrive from the castanhals, the nuts are trans- 

 ferred from the smaller boats in small wicker baskets 



Courtesy the South American 



LOADING THE NUTS ON SMALL BOATS 

 The only means of transportation in North Brazil is by water and so the harvesting parties travel in 

 canoes to the castanhals, or orchards, where the nuts are carried to the canoes in baskets for loading. 



which are im- 

 mersed in the 

 stream several 

 times. By this 

 process the 

 accumulated 

 dirt is washed 

 off and imper- 

 fect nuts rise 

 to the surface 

 and float away. 

 The cleaned 

 nuts are passed 

 on to the 

 larger canoes 

 or lighters and 

 are later trans- 

 ferred to the 

 river steamers 

 for transport 

 to Manaos and 

 Para." 

 These so- 

 called Brazil nuts are well-known in the American 

 markets and are highly esteemed for their oily almond- 

 flavored interior. They are a luxury in some countries 

 and an article of food in another. They are used either 

 to obtain an oil or are eaten in the raw state or are 

 otherwise prepared as an article of food. About the end 

 of December the seeds are in the fit state to be eaten raw ; 







Courtesy the South American 



NATIVES BUSY TAKING OFF BRAZIL NUT CARGO 



^e cargoes of nuts are brought down the small streams of North Brazil in canoes to the larger rivers, which are navigable^ by steamboats 

 and which carry the outs to market. The industry is an active, profitable and most important one in Brazil. 



