96 NUT CULTUBE IN THE UNITED STATES. 



yield very little oil, and are not as agreeably flavored as the larger varieties. The 

 shells are utilized by the natives for making drinking cups and oil dippers, and I am 

 told that some of the more ingenious make very prettily carved teacups of them, 

 using the shells of the larger varieties as saucers. In pursuance of the advice of a 

 native who claims to have had much experience in the shipment of cocoanuts, I have 

 packed this lot in sand, having been advised that this is the proper manner in which 

 to transport them long distances for planting. 



"Three smaller nuts are of the Dajila Patot variety, scientific name Pumila mig; 

 and three larger are the Tayomamis variety, Saccharina mig; all are from the island 

 of Panay. The former is prized by the natives for its tender, juicy meat, and they 

 use the shells for making drinking cups. The latter has unusually sweet and oily 

 meat, and is frequently used by the natives with yams and syrup to form a most 

 delicious preserve or sweetmeat. In my second shipment of nuts I sent 12 of the 

 Dajila variety (Regia, mig) from the island of Samma; these are similar to the Dajila 

 Patot of the fourth shipment, but are somewhat larger and the meat is less juicy. It 

 may be well for the Department of Agriculture to know there is a difference of opinion 

 between the officials of the Department of Forests and Mountains here and some of 

 the more intelligent natives and mestizos, as to the propriety of giving different 

 names to the cocoanuts of the archipelago; the latter, basing their conclusions upon 

 actual observations and an intimate acquaintance with the cocoanut, declare that 

 there is really but one variety in these islands, and that the various names given by 

 Prof. P. Blanco, in his elaborate work 'Flora de Filipuas,' are intended to designate 

 the condition of the nut and tree at their different stages of development. For 

 instance, they hold that the 'Dajila Patot' and 'Coco Chiquito' describe the nut 

 just after the shell has hardened, and that as it matures the flavor and character of 

 the leaf change as well as the shape of the shell and husk ; that all ultimately 

 develop into the 'Gocos Grandes.' Professor Blanco, however, gives 20 distinct 

 varieties, and his statements are corroborated by the officials of the Department of 

 Forests and Mountains, who insist that the native theory is utterly untenable. The 

 Macapuno, which is very rarely found, and which presents in the shell a solid mass 

 of soft, greasy meat that is almost tasteless, is cited as a clearly distinct variety; yet 

 the natives claim that this nut is an accident, and that no tree has ever been 

 encountered that bears it exclusively; that Macapunos are often found on the Lim- 

 bahon, Tayomainis, and other trees. All cocoanut trees have the same general appear- 

 ance, and apparently follow the same course of development, but there is certainly a 

 vast difference in the size, shape, and flavor of the nuts sent to market. It seems that 

 the question at issue ought to be readily settled by a little systematic observation 

 and experiment, but it has not been done thus far to the satisfaction of both sides. In 

 absence of any documentary evidence in support of what may be termed 'the native 

 position,' I have assumed that Professor Blanco's conclusions are correct, and have 

 followed the nomenclature given in the latest edition of -his work. The experiments 

 with these nuts in Florida will undoubtedly solve the problem." 



Tennent says of the five varieties which are distinguished by the natives of Ceylon, 

 one is bright orange in the color of the outer husk, and is known as the King cocoa- 

 nut. The fluid of this variety is said to be very delicate. The other four varieties 

 vary from light yellow to dark green, and are also distinguished by shape and size. 

 Concerning the effect of environment upon the cocoanut where the soil is sandy and 

 pervious, with a profusion of water from the fresh lake on the one side and the sea on 

 the other, a saline atmosphere followed by the constant tossing of the spray on the 

 adjacent shore, a warm and genial sun and timely rain, this author says of the nuts 

 that grow at Batticaloa, in Ceylon, under such conditions, "The excellence is 50 per 

 cent greater than nuts from the opposite side of the island." 



For seed, the cocoanut is allowed to become well ripened on the tree; taken thus, 

 with the husk left on, the nut is planted on its side in a bed of leaf mold in the shade. 



