18 



®l)c Jmmev's illcmtljhj Visitor. 



others to dry land, and others still, to lofty eleva- 

 tions, there" are others that flourish in all situa- 

 tions, is truly surprising, and forms n problem 

 inexplicable to the human understanding. 



It is a fact that, of the 220 species of marine 

 shells which inhabit the seacoast of Massachu- 

 setts, no less than 88 species are never found 

 south of Cape Cod, and that 46 species are never 

 found on the north of it, while tlie remaining 80 

 species occupy a larger field, being found all 

 along the coast, both north and south of the 

 Cape — many species existing from Nova Scotia 

 on the north to Florida on the south. 



We may trace the same phenomenon among 

 the higher grades of animal existence, — some 

 species of quadrupeds, birds, fishes and reptiles 

 are found to occupy very narrow geographical 

 districts. The hydrochoerus capybara, or river 

 hog, a quadruped belonging to the order of Ro- 

 dentia and family of Lepus, is a native of Cay- 

 enne in South America, and nowhere else on the 

 globe. So in the vegetable kingdom, we see the 

 tea plant confined to China, and many others to 

 still narrower limits. But one of the most sin- 

 gular and interesting instances of geographical 

 limitation is exhibited in the plant or tree, scien- 

 tifically known as the Lodoicea Sechellarum, or 

 Sta Coco ; the cocos de met" of the French. 



FRUIT OF THE SEA COCO. 



There are few objects in the vegetable king- 

 dom more remarkable, more curious and interest- 

 ing or more grand and imposing than the plant 

 or tree denominated the Liodoicca Sechellarum, or 

 Sea Coco, which is a species of palm, and pecu- 

 liar to the Seclielles islands. 



The above wood cut represents its curious and 

 remarkable two-lobed fruit, its length is eleven 

 inches; its lateral diameter through both lobes, 

 is ten and one-ball inches, ami its depth or 

 smallest diameter, is six and one-half inches. 



For many of the leading facts concerning this 

 trulv wonderful plant, i am indebted to H. 

 Wheatland, M. D., of Salem, Mass. 



This singular plant belongs to the class Dioe- 

 cia. an I order Ilexandria, in the system of Lin 

 naeus, (the barren and fertile flowers existing on 

 separate plain.-) and in the natural system, rank- 

 ing under the order of Palinaceas. 



As before observed, this plant or tree is pecu- 

 liar to the Seclielles Archipelago, a group of 

 islands situated in the Indian ocean, north-east 

 of Madagascar, in latitude 4 degrees 20 minutes 

 south, and longitude 55 degrees 40 minutes east 

 of Greenwich. Even there it is confined to two 

 of the islands — Praslin and Curiease — where it 

 grows naturally in great beauty and 'luxuriance. 

 It will not flourish on the surrounding islands, 

 the experiment of planting it there having been 

 repeatedly tried and as often failed. Ii me re 1 J 

 Vegetates, but does not come to maturity, and is 

 widely different in appearance from the splendid 

 plants of Praslin and Curiease. 



Many years before the discovery of the above 

 mentioned group of islands, its drupes (or fruit,) 

 Were occasionally found floating at sea, or walled 

 bv the waves to the Co, omandel coast, and the 

 Maldive islands. But these oocurrences were so 

 rare, that the fruit then found was estimated at 

 mi incredible price. No less than $2000 has 

 been |iaid for a single specimen. It was then 

 considered a submarine production, and many 

 virtues, but imaginary, were ascribed to the fruit. 

 Nor has the discovery of its habitat, nor the 

 comparative facility of its acquisition been suffi- 

 cient entirely to remove this belief; for its fruit 

 is slid considered as a remedy in many diseases, 

 both by the natives of the Coromandel coast and 

 those on the shores of the Persian Gulf, whither 



large numbers of the ripe fruit are sent to be 

 administered as a medicine. 



The early fabulous history of the Lodoicea 

 prior to its final discovery at these islands in 

 1743, the specific virtues that have been ascribed 

 to its nut for curing all so:'ts of maladies, the 

 great price that has been paid for the purchase 

 of a single specimen, the singular formation of 

 its fruit, and its circumscribed geographical lim- 

 its have excited u great degree of interest in its 

 natural history. 



The Lodoicea has a trunk or stem, which is 

 straight and grows to the height of 90 or 100 

 feet, terminated by a splendid crown of leaves. 

 Its diameter being only twelve or fifteen inches, 

 renders it so flexible that it waves to the slight- 

 est breeze. The leaves are precisely similar in 

 form to those of the Fan Palm, but of such a 

 size that one will cover an area of twelve or 

 fifieen square feet. This plant is of slow growth. 

 The unanimous testimony of the inhabitants of 

 Praslin proves that each tree produces only one 

 leaf in a year, and as three leaves occupy about 

 eight inches of ihe trunk, and twenty years ex- 

 pire before that appears above the surface, a tree 

 90 feet in height must be about 425 years old. 



As in the Date Palm, the sterile and fertile 

 flowers are not found on the same plant, and the 

 trees bearing the sterile flowers are considerably 

 higher than those hearing the fertile. The ster- 

 ile flowers are attached to a stem two or three 

 feet long, forming a sort of calkin, which possess 

 and diffuse a strong and offensive odor. -The 

 fertile flowers nearly resemble those of the ordi- 

 nary coco. Only one flowering stem is put forth 

 in a year, and the number of fruit varies from 

 one to six in each cluster. The nuts are two- 

 lobed. Three lobes are very rare, but some are 

 met with, and it is said specimens of five lobes 

 have been found. Sometimes two nuts are en- 

 closed in one husk. Two highly remarkable 

 circumstances in the natural history of the Lo- 

 doicea, are the duration of its blossom and the 

 period necessary for maturing its fruit; for the 

 latter no less than seven or eight years are re- 

 quired, as before observed. 



The fruit in the first year consists of a trans- 

 parent jelly, of a sweet insipid taste, and is used 

 as an article of food. When ripe it yields an 

 oil. The ripe kernel is as hard as beech wood, 

 perfectly white and tasteless. It is considered 

 poisonous. An instance is related, that a per- 

 son who ate of it, died in 24 hours, idler suffer- 

 ing great distress in the stomach. 



The Lodoicea grows in every variety of soil, 

 but flourishes most luxuriantly in the vegetable 

 mould of the deep gorges of the mountains. It 

 is nevertheless found on the bare mountain tops, 

 and forms a very conspicuous, majestic and iin 

 posing object in such situations. 



Another singular fact in relation to the Lodoi 

 cea is, that the vegetation or germination of the 

 nut is prevented by burying it in the earil 

 whereas ifsuff'ered simply lo rest on die surface, 

 in a situation not too much exposed to Ihe sun 

 germination readily takes place. 



The shells are very strong and light, and are 

 applied to various useful purposes. Simply 

 bored at the end, they serve as convenient buck- 

 ets and kegs, which are in general use among all 

 the inhabitants of these islands: many of them 

 hold upward of three gallons. Many thousands 

 of these shells, sawed in two, are sent to Mauri- 

 tias and Bourbon, where they are universally 

 employed by the blacks for holding food and 

 Water. They also form the best and most con- 

 venient vessels that have hitherto been devised 

 by ihe inhabitants for baling out boats. 



The leaves make a good substitute for shingle 

 for the covering of houses: a roof well thatched 

 with them lasts ten years without any repair. 

 They are also used when young and while, lor a 

 great many purposes: bonnets, hats, finis, and a 

 great variety of fancy articles, some of which 

 are of considerable beauty, being manufactured 

 from them. 



Like many other families of Palms that abound 

 throughout the Indies, and whose towering stems, 

 crowned with gigantic foliage, impress a charac- 

 ter of grandeur upon the landscape of those 

 countries they inhabit, the Lodoicea furnishes 

 food, raiment, covering lor their houses, and nu- 

 merous oilier objects, both for convenience and 

 luxury to the inhabitants of those islands where 

 this singular but magnificent plant is found grow- 



ing iu its native luxuriance, grandeur and 

 beauty. 



Winter Management of Sheep. 



Rheep suffer in our long winters for want of 

 green food. Give them roots of various kinds, 

 such as potatoes, carrots, beets, parsnips, and 

 turnips. For a month or so before yeating, they 

 should not have roots, or only a few, as they will 

 produce a premature flow of milk, and cause it 

 to cake in the bag. At this time, they may have 

 a very few roots, to keep the bowels open, and 

 uevent their faltering for want of access to the 

 ground. Carrots are best, as they do not pro- 

 duce so large a flow of milk as oilier roots, but 

 tend in part to keep up the condition. Do not 

 feed too high before the yearing season. 



Give sheep in winter, as condiments, salt, 

 wood ashes, clay, and pure earth. Give them 

 also as salutary or medicinal food, cedar, pine, 

 spruce, hemlock, fir, and other boughs. And by 

 all means give them a good supply of pure wa- 

 ter. As they eat dry fodder they will drink often 

 mid freely. They cannot satisfy their thirst by 

 ealing snow, any more than a man can by de- 

 vouring snow, or sucking an icicle. We have 

 kept sheep and cattle at about Ihe same distance 

 from water, say seven rods, and the sheep would 

 go and drink twice as often as the cattle. They 

 would not eat more than an hour in the morning, 

 before they would run and drink. They will go 

 a considerable distance for this purpose, if kindly 

 invited at first, by a lock of hay, or something 

 else to entice them, instead of frightening them 

 wilh dogs and noisy boys, in the vain attempt to 

 drive them. 



When sheep have been long from the ground, 

 they will often do as well to let them out in spring 

 as soon as the ground is bare, feeding them also 

 with the best of hay, and with roots and proven- 

 der. 



Clover hay is the best for sheep; we have 

 known flocks to do well and raise fine early 

 lambs, when their feed during winter has been 

 nothing but excellent clover hay, and pure wa- 

 ter, to which they had access iu the yard. — Cote's 

 Vttenarian. 



From the Genesee Farmer. 

 Butter.— Experiments, Arc. 



Butter is one of the staple productions of our 

 State, and every hint that serves lo improve its 

 quality or increase its quantity, must be useful. 

 According to the returns of the late census in 

 1845, the amount of butter made the same year, 

 was 79,501,733 lbs., which at 124 cents per lb., 

 and Which is a fair average price, yields $9,937,- 

 71(3 — only $2,144,877 less than the produce of the 

 wheat crop of that year. This amount might he 

 greatly increased, il more attention was paid to 

 the manufacture, and a heller article sent to 

 market. As it now conies, not more than one 

 half of ihe quantity is fit for the table, and some 

 of it entirely unfit for any culinary purpose 

 whatever. This should not he. 



There are various methods of making butletyind 

 there is certainly a vast difference in its quality. 

 One cause of this difference may be ascribed to 

 the herbage or food upon which the cows are 

 fed, the breed of cows, or the season ; but more 

 generally in the management. Every one ima- 

 gines their method best, and are too wise to 

 learn. 



Being very fond of good butler ourselves, 

 many experiments were tried while residing on 

 the farm, and the following rules were finally 

 settled on : 



First — Cleanliness must be sti icily observed 

 in everything appertaining thereto, from ihe 

 milking of the cow to the packing of the butter. 

 All the utensils must be sweet and free from any 

 taint or smell. 



Second — The milk must be immediately strain- 

 ed, on coming from the cow, into pans, and set 

 for the cream to rise, as with some cows a sepa- 

 ration commences even during the process of 

 milking. 



Third — The cream should be freed from milk 

 and frequently stirred, particularly when addi- 

 tions are made, and a little sail added to keep it 

 from curdlihg. In summer ihe cream must be 

 churned as often as every other day. In winter 

 it may stand for several days, if kept in a low 

 temperature, say from 45 to 50 deg. Fahrenheit. 



To make the cream rise more perfectly, the 



