500 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[November. 
The Doctor’s Talks. 
I am always glad when my young friends ask 
about common things. Concerning articles in com¬ 
mon use, we often take no thought as to where they 
come from, or how they are prepared. “ H. T. W.,” 
asks a question that many older persons would like 
to have answered. He says : “ We sometimes have 
cocoa for breakfast instead of coffee, is this made 
from the cocoanut? The cocoa bought at the 
Fig. 1.— BRANCH OF COCOA, WITH LEAVES, FLOWERS, AND FRUIT. 
store, is in irregular bits, like something larger that 
had been broken up, and though I have had a 
whole cocoanut, I find nothing in it like this.” 
Cocoa, and Cocoanut, 
are names in common use for two very distinct 
products. Singularly enough, neither name is cor¬ 
rect, and these show that slight changes in spelling- 
may become established by long use, and lead to 
confusion. The cocoanut grows in tropical coun¬ 
tries, upon a tall kind of palm-tree. The nut is not 
now brought here in its original state so much as 
formerly. When it comes from the tree it is about a 
foot long, and is three-sided. The outer part is a 
thick, tough, stringy husk. To save room, the 
nuts are now brought to market without the bulky 
husk. As most of you know, they are more or less 
Fig. 3.— WHOLE SEED. Fig. 4.— -SEED SPLIT. 
oval, about the size of a pint pot, and have a very 
hard shell. At one end of this shell are three 
roundish spots, one of which is soft, and easily cut 
into with a knife, while the other two are like the 
rest of the shell. It is from this soft spot that 
the germ or young tree pushes when the nut 
is planted. The shell is lined with a rather 
tough, white flesh or “ meat,” and in the hollow 
of this is a sweetish liquid known as the “ milk.” 
The “meat” is eaten,-and used in some kinds of 
cookery; the hard shell is mode into dippers, 
and ornamental boxes, while the coarse fibres of the 
outer husk is made into ropes, and the coarse but 
strong material known as “coir matting.” Those 
who have seen the cocoanut, no doubt recollect 
the three spots at one end. These give that end a 
strong resemblance to a monkey’s face, two of them 
answering for eyes, the other for the mouth, while 
between is a projecting portion, that will answer 
very well for a monkey’s nose. It is from this 
that the Portugese, when they first met with the 
nut, called it the coco, which in their language is the 
name for a mask. Hence the original name was 
Coco—aiul not Cocoa-nut. 
But usage has made it cocoa in our language, and 
so it will no doubt remain. The cocoa we use as a 
beverage, is prepared from a nut, but the 
product of a tree very different from the one 
just mentioned. When the Spaniards first 
visited Mexico, they found that the native 
Indians used a drink which they called 
cacao, made from the nuts of the Cacao- 
tree. The Spaniards introduced the nuts 
into Europe with the native name. When 
the English began to use it, strangely 
enough they in time alter¬ 
ed the name to cocoa, as 
they had altered the 
name “coco-nut” to co¬ 
coa-nut. We have iu these 
two products curious in¬ 
stances of the manner in 
which common names will 
get changed. Our cocoa- 
nut should be “ coco-nut,” 
and our “ cocoa,” the bev¬ 
erage, should properly be 
Cacao, but both have 
been altered to cocoa. 
With this explanation, it 
is easy to see that much 
confusion has followed, 
and “ H. T. W.” is not the 
onlyone who has been puz¬ 
zled by it...But my young 
friend wishes to know 
About Cocoa, anil bow 
it is Prepared for Use. 
As already stated, the 
Spaniards found the tree in 
Mexico ; it is also a native of Central Amer¬ 
ica, generally, and of several of the West 
Indies. The tree is a small one, usually not 
over 20 feet high ; it has large, pointed 
leaves, and small, rose-colored flowers, 
which are followed by a fruit or pod, 6 to 
10 inches long. Figure 1 shows a branch 
with leaves, flowers, and fruit, but all much 
smaller than the real size. The fruit when 
green looks a good deal like a cucum¬ 
ber ; it is yellowish when ripe. It is then 
gathered and split open, and the seeds, 
which are in a sort of spongy pulp, are removed. 
The trees of the different countries vary greatly in 
the size of the fruit, and the number of the seeds i 
while some contaiu only 30, others have over 100 
seeds. The engraving, fig. 2, much smaller than 
the pod itself, shows its shape, and the arrange¬ 
ment of the seeds, while in figs. 3 and 4 a whole 
seed, and one split open, of the natural size. The 
seeds are placed in boxes or in pits to ferment for 
a few days, and are then spread in the sun to dry, 
when they are ready for export. This -ferment¬ 
ing is said to make the seeds less bitter, and to 
render them more solid. The greater share of the 
cocoa used throughout the world, is supplied by 
Trinidad, but that from Central America is regard¬ 
ed as the best. (If you do not know where Trini¬ 
dad is, stop right here, and find out from your ge¬ 
ography.) The botanical name of tbe tree is Tlieo- 
broma Cacao, the first or generic name being a fan¬ 
ciful one, given it by Linnajus, and is made up 
of Greek words, meaning “Food for the gods,” 
while the specific name- is the Mexican Cacao. 
From the cocoa beans, or seeds, are made cocoa, 
cocoa-shells, chocolate, etc. 
Cocoa proper, is the bean which has been roasted, 
the same as coffee. It is then broken into a coarse 
powder, and the husks being removed by a fanning 
mill, it is ready for sale, to be used in the same 
manner as coffee. “The Doctor.” 
Thanksgiving Games. 
Thanksgiving is coming ! Soon the proclamations 
of the President and of all the Governors, will be 
read in all the churches, and printed in all the pa¬ 
pers, and there will be cheery family gatherings in 
many happy homes. Grandparents, children, and 
grandchildren, will be united around the Thanks¬ 
giving board. After the turkey and pies have been 
enjoyed, followed by the nuts and raisins, the old. 
folks will cluster about the fire, to tell stories, 
and recall reminiscences of “ye olden time.” 
Then it is that the boys and girls will want some. 
2.— FRUIT POD OF COCOA, SHOWING THE SEEDS. 
merry sports and games, and we give here a few 
plays, suitable for a Thanksgiving party. 
Where the company is large, one of the most 
amusing games that can be selected, is called 
The Silent Gypsey Band. 
For this, a head brother, and two door-keepers 
must be chosen, while the various other brothers 
and sisters form a circle, standing in perfect silence, 
neither laughing nor smiling. The leader then 
whispers to each one, some rediculous act to be 
performed, such as leading a brother round by the 
ear, blowing an imaginary feather off of a sister’s 
nose, turning a summersault, or anything the im¬ 
agination may suggest. He then raps with a cane 
upon the floor, and points to each member in turn, 
who must do whatever he has been directed, with 
perfect gravity, while if any of the company ven¬ 
ture to smile, giggle, or speak, he or she is imme¬ 
diately marched out of the room by the watchful 
door-keepers, and not allowed to return until 
quite over their merriment. As every one desires 
to see the others perform, they are generally 
anxious to come back as soon as possible, but 
another laugh will send them out again iu a hurry. 
While resting from this merriment, 
“Cupid is Coininar.” 
will be found quite entertaining. A letter must be 
chosen, and the termination “ ing : ” For instance, 
