15v6 
the Altantlc side, and Is also known on the Pacific 
side, though not so abundant there. In the markets of 
San Jose the fruit is always in great demand and 
brings a high price. 
"The palm is a beautiful pinnate-leaved species, 
with a slender trunk reaching to 50 feet, though com- 
monly not more than 35 feet. The leaves resemble those 
of Cocog plumosa and other palms of that type, while the 
trunk is armed from top to bottom with thin, sharp 
spines about 2 Inches long. Flowers are produced In the 
spring, from March to June (occasionally at other times 
of the year ), and are followed by stout racemes of fruit 
which matures principally in the autumn. The racemes 
sometimes weigh 25 pounds, and as many as 5 or 6 are 
produced by the palm in a single crop. The individual 
fruits are top shaped, up to 2 Inches long, yellow to 
deep orange, with a thin skin, and a hard seed In the 
center surrounded by abundant flesh of orange or yellow 
color, firm texture, and dry, farinaceous character. 
Seedless varieties are known, and since these can be 
propagated, like date palms, by means of offshoots, of 
which the plant produces several In the course of its 
life, the establishment of superior forms should be 
simple . 
"The 'pejlbaye,' which is one of the most popular 
of all Costa Rlcan fruits (though it should not, per- 
haps, be called a fruit, except In a botanical sense) 
is prepared for eating by boiling for three hours in 
salted water, afterwhich it is pared and the flesh, which 
strikingly resembles boiled chestnuts in appearance 
and flavor, is eaten without seasoning of any sort. 
Doubtless the fruit would lend Itself to many uses, such 
as stuffing for fowl, but it Is so good In its simple 
form that Costa Ricans have not sought to Improve it by 
bringing it under the Influence of culinary art. 
"The palm is said to come Into bearing at 6 to 8 
years from seed, and to live at least 50 years. It is 
found in Costa Rica from sea level up to 5,000 feet 
elevation, but In extremely wet regions above 4,000 
feet some of the palms do not bear. The ideal region 
for It seems to be, in this country, between 2,000 
and 3,500 feet, and where the rainfall is not great. 
It does not appear to be particular as regards soil. 
"The fruit contains about 40 per cent of carbohy- 
drates, and according to an analysis made In San Jose, 
one pound of the flesh represents 1,096 calories of 
energy, which entitles the 'pejlbaye' to serious con- 
sideration as a food plant. It seems to me that it 
