136 



POPTTLAR SCIENCE I^EWS. 



[September, 1889. 



court, "in which the matter in dispute was a claim 

 to the 2,5-oth part of ten of the precious trees." 



The most important products come, of course, 

 from the nuts, of which a good tree will produce 

 about sixty a year. The milk-like fluid contained in 

 the cavitv of the large seed is highly prized as a 

 beverage in tropical countries, and the white meat 

 forms a very important article of diet. By boiling 

 and pressing this part of the nut, an oil is obtained, 

 which, by further treatment, may be separated into : 

 (i) a solid part, largely used in the manufacture of 

 stearine candles, and (2) a fluid portion, which is 

 burned in lamps. Large quantities of the oil are 

 exported and used for various purposes, among 

 which, perhaps, the most interesting is the making 

 of a marine soap, which gives a lather with salt 

 water. 



Occasionally there occurs within the nut a small 

 stony concretion of a bluish-white color, which has 

 been appropriately called a "coco-nut pearl." The 

 name "vegetable bezoar" has also been applied to 

 them, to express their analogy with similar calculi 

 found in the alimentary canal of cattle. In India 

 these stones are known as "calapittes" (from calappa, 

 the Malayan name of the coco-tree), and through- 

 out India, China, and the Malay Archipelago these 

 vegetable pearls are eagerly purchased by the 

 natives and used as an amulet of extraordinary 

 virtue. 



The hard shell of the nut is made into drinking 

 cups, spoons, lamps, and similar vessels. Running 

 through the thick husks of the fruit are numerous 

 very tough fibres, which, after macerating for sev- 

 eral months in salt water, are easily separated by- 

 beating, and are then extensively used, under the 

 name of coir-fihre, as material for cordiige, mats, 

 brooms, and as a substitute for curled hair in uphol- 

 stery. 



The young flowers and theircovcringare copiously 

 supplied with a sweet sap, which constitutes the 

 famous palm-wine, or "toddy," and, according to 

 Mr. A. Smith,* is obtained in the following man- 

 ner : "As soon as the spike makes its appearance 

 among the leaves, a toddyman ascends the tree, and 

 securely binds it with thorngs, so that it cannot 

 expanil. lie then, for three successive mornings, 

 beats the lower part of the spike with a short baton, 

 and on the four following mornings, in addition to 

 the beating, he cuts a thin slice off the end; and on 

 the eighth day the sap, or toddy, begins to flow, and 

 is collected in an earthenware jar tied on the end of 

 the spike. A tree continues to yield toddy for four 

 or live months, the toddyman ascending the tree 

 every morning, to empty the jar, and at the same 

 time to cut a fresh slice oft" the end of the spike." 

 The drink thus obtained is intoxicating, and, when 

 distilled, makes a sort of brandy known as "arrack." 

 A very good vinegar is made from the sap, and, 

 when boiled down, it yields palm-sugar, or "jag- 

 gery," considerable quantities of which are exported. 



The leaves are much prized as a material for 

 thatching houses, and are also used lor plaiting into 

 mats, baskets, hats, and fans. Combs for the hair 

 are made from the leaf-stalks, and h very good sieve 

 is aftbrded by a brown network of fibres from the 

 base of the leaves. The large terminal bud, made 

 up of the unexpanded leaves, is a good deal like a 

 cabbage, and is cooked and eaten in the same way. 



As in palms generally, so with the coco-tree, — the 

 outer part of the trunk becomes very hard as the 

 plant grows old, and so forms a valuable timber, 

 largely used for building purposes and furniture, 

 and exported under the name "porcupine wood," as 

 a fancy wood for cabinet-makers. 



There are various minor uses which we have not 



*Lindley and Moore's Treasury of Botany, p. 157. 



mentioned, but enough has been said to show that 

 a native of the tropics can, from this tree alone, 

 obtain about all the necessaries of life and some 

 decided luxuries. 



(Concluded in next number.) 



[Original in The ppputar Science News.\ 

 TWO CURIOUS PLANTS. 



BY S. E. KENNEDY. 



Among the curiosities of plant life, there are two, 

 common to this locality, which have attracted my 

 attention. These are the Monotropa, or Indian 

 Pipe, and the Aphyllon, or Broom Rape. 



The word Monotropa is composed of two Greek 

 words, signifying "one" and "to turn," in reference 

 to the summit of the stem being turned to one side. 

 It is furnished with scale-like bracts instead of leaves, 

 which, together with the sepals, petals, and scape, 

 are of a dirty white color. All portions of the plant 

 communicate to the touch a disagreeable clammy 

 sensation, which, no doubt, gave rise to the name 

 of Corpse Plant. 



The species M. nniflora is often called Indian Pipe, 

 the color and shape of the long flower scape and 

 single terminal flower reminding one of an old clav 

 pipe. This curious plant is rich in names, among 

 which we find Bird's Nest, suggested, no doubt, by 

 its ball of tangled fibrous roots. The good old 

 grandmothers call it Fit Plant, and administer it as 

 a medicine to those of their unfortunate posterity 

 who are afflicted with this malady. 



The specimens obtained in this locality have been 

 found in chestnut woods, at the base of trees, upon 

 the strength of which it is supposed to live. I find 

 that if I would examine this curious parasite I must 

 do it quickly, as it soon blackens upon exposure to 

 light. I have never been fortunate enough to obtain 

 a specimen of the M. hypopiiys, called also False 

 Beechdrops and Pine-sap. Gray says it is usually 

 found in oak and pine woods, and that it bears a 

 scaly raceme of several fragrant flowers. 



Somewhat resembling this, though belonging to 

 another order, is the Aphyllon, or Naked Broom 

 Rape. The generic name is from the Greek, and 

 signifies "without leaves." The species I have 

 before me is A. uniflora, or One F"lowered Cancer 

 Root. 



From the short subterranean stem, there rises in 

 a cluster two or three slender naked peduncles, four 

 to five inches high, each bearing a single terminal 

 flower. The regular five-cleft calyx is of the same 

 color as the yellowish-brown flower scape. The 

 somewhat irregular corolla has a curved tube with 

 a spreading border, also five-cleft, purplish-white, 

 the lower segments separated by two yellow bearded 

 folds. Although no diminutive flower, its beauty is 

 much enhanced by the aid of a glass, bringing out 

 a brilliancy of coloring of the inner portion which 

 the unaided eye may not discover. Not the least 

 interesting part of the flower is the broad two-lipped 

 stigma and perfectly arranged capsule. 



This interesting plant belongs to the order 

 Orobanchacea', or Broom Rape Family, all the mem- 

 bers of which live parasitic all\ upon the roots of 

 other plants. 



Moosup Valley, R. I., August i. 



CONFPXTIONKRS' COLORS. 



The confectioner who would sell his wares must 

 not only gratify the palate, but please the eye. It is 

 to meet this latter requirement he colors his confec- 

 tions, and not to satisfy his own artistic proclivities. 



As to the beautiful yellow of some of his handi- 

 work, no confectioner will admit the soft impeach- 

 ment that he uses anything but yolks of eggs, but 

 that in some cases, at least, the Galliis hniickioa, rnr. 



dowestifNS, has never had anything to do with a yel- 

 low coloration is fairly assumable. In such cases 

 turmeric is used, and is not only innocuous, but 

 healthful, and in India is extensively employed in 

 cookery, not only for its color, but also for its tonic 

 and stimulant properties. A druggist in certain 

 neighborhoods might find a ready sale for a concen- 

 trated decoction of it. 



Green is generally a color looked upon with sus- 

 picion, suggesting thoughts of arsenic and the 

 undertaker. Spinach is the thing now most exten- 

 sively used in the trade, sap green having been 

 ruled out of court. Druggists might prepare, and 

 profitably sell, a green color for confectionery by 

 beating one pound of spinach in a stone mortar, 

 and afterwards rubbing it through a fine sieve. 

 One pound fine sugar is then to be incorporated 

 with it. The quantities to be used for coloring will 

 depend entirely on the shade of green required. 



A chocolate color may be produced by essence of 

 coffee, and burnt onions are the best browning for 

 soups and gravies. 



The coloring power of saffron is known to every- 

 body, but the flavor it also imparts is not often 

 required. — Druggist. 



GLEANINGS. 



Remove Broken Eggs. — Eggshells should never 

 be given to hens, as they will learn the vice of egg- 

 eating thereby. When an egg is broken in the nest 

 or yard, it should be removed as soon as discovered. 

 A hen seldom begins to eat" egg shells until she 

 finds one broken by accident, or until she becomes 

 accustomed to egg shells that may be thrown into 

 the yard. 



Hen Manure. — The statement that the droppings 

 of one hen per year are worth fifty cents is going its 

 annual round. An exchange says: "We have 

 kept about one hundred hens, on the average, but 

 find them credited with only five dollars on our 

 book for manure, or five cents each. Ten cents is 

 the very highest that we would be willing to allow 

 for the annual manure crop from each hen." 



Hanging Baskets, well filled with healthy, 

 growing plants, are the finest objects in the window 

 garden. For this purpose the dwarf nasturtium is 

 a fitting subject. Fill your basket with light, grav- 

 elly soil, put in a few seeds of the desired kind, and 

 keep well watered, and by the time the basket is 

 wanted for its position it will be well filled, and will 

 remain an object of beauty the entire winter. 



Fool) Value of an Egg. — Prof. Fresenius, of 

 Wiesbaden, after a long series of chemical analyses, 

 declares that an egg contains as much nourishment 

 as a pound and an ounce of cherries, a pound and a 

 quarter of grapes, a pound and a half of russet 

 apples, two pounds of gooseberries, and four pounds 

 of pears; and that 114 pounds of grapes, 127 pounds 

 of russet apples, 192 pounds of pears, and 327 

 pounds of plums, are equal in nourishment to lOO 

 pounds of potatoes. 



Starvinc; Plants. — Plants may be smothered 

 while growing upon the richest soil. This is one of 

 the best illustrations of the law of the survival of 

 the fittest. A hundred oat plants, for example, may- 

 be growing upon an area only large enough for 

 fifty. They all pass the period of germination, for 

 contact with neighbors does not matter then. The 

 early stages of growth may be safely passed, because 

 all the plants are small, and require little space and 

 a small amount of nourishment. But the time 

 comes when the food is insuliicient and the space 

 too limited. It may be that if all are evenlv ad- 

 vanced, there will be a survival of them all, but in 

 an imperfect condition. Oats or an3' other cereal 

 sowed too thickly will not yield a good crop; each 

 stem is slender and starved. 



