LUTHER BURBANK 
but for the milky fluid which it secretes in large 
quantity. The natives sacrifice the partially ripe 
nut for the sake of the milk, but most northerners 
find this a taste to be acquired with some effort. 
The meat of the ripe nut, as it comes to the 
northern market, is extremely palatable, and in a 
dried state, grated, it is widely employed to flavor 
sundry delicacies. 
The cocoanut is raised extensively in Cuba, and 
to a limited extent in Florida, the total number of 
these nuts produced in the United States in 1899 
being 145,000. 
Most of the other nuts are similarly used as 
accessories of diet, for variety rather than as sub- 
stantials. They are capable, however, of playing 
a more important role, as the chemical analysis of 
their constituents shows that they are in the main 
highly concentrated foods, having little waste 
aside from the shells. They contain all the import- 
ant constituents of diet—proteins, fats, and carbo- 
hydrates—and are thus in themselves capable of 
sustaining life. They do not contain the various 
elements in proper proportion, however, to make 
them suitable for an exclusive diet. Moreover, 
their highly concentrated character makes them 
somewhat difficult of digestion if taken in large 
quantities. 
The chestnut differs from the other nuts in 
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