140 TROPICAL AGRICULTURE 



This fruit is inclosed in a thick woody shell which contains 

 about one dozen angular seeds or Brazil nuts. The tree is 

 propagated by seed or layering. The Brazil nuts of commerce 

 come chiefly from South America but the tree is also quite 

 widely cultivated in the Oriental Tropics, particularly in Ceylon 

 and the Federated Malay States. 



PILI NUT 



The Pili nut (Canarium commune) is a large and beautiful 

 tree with an unusually extensive development of buttressing 

 roots. The tree bears a purple plum-like fruit containing a 

 seed or kernel of excellent flavor. The Pili nut is native of 

 Malay and at present is quite largely exported from the 

 Philippines. It is also cultivated in Java, where it is called the 

 Java almond. It is an excellent avenue tree, is propagated by 

 seed, and thrives up to an altitude of 1,000 feet. 



CASHEW NUT 



The Cashew nut is borne on a tree 30 to 40 feet high, native 

 of the West Indies, and known to botanists as Anacardium 

 occidentale. It is now cultivated throughout the Tropics. The 

 parts of the fruit are rather anomalous in their structure and 

 arrangement. The swollen stalk of the fruit is known as the 

 Cashew apple and is used for preserves. The Cashew apple 

 has an acid astringent flavor and is 2 to 4 inches long. The 

 kidney-shaped nut, about I inch long, is borne at the tip of 

 the Cashew apple. The nut is commonly roasted and used as 

 a flavoring material in confectionery and for other purposes. 

 An intoxicating drink, known as "kaju," is made by ferment- 

 ing the Cashew apple. All parts of the fruit are used for 

 medical purposes. The Cashew nut thrives in the dry districts 

 of tropical countries and near sea level. 



