AlA^gusrt■,l904!:m•}  Pharmacy  and  Chemistry.  373 
four-footed  animals  it  finds  a  formidable  enemy  in  a  large  beetle. 
This  beetle  feeds  on  the  crown  of  the  tree,  and  if  it  succeeds  in 
eating  away  the  crown  before  the  native  notices  its  presence  the  tree 
dies.  By  tying  a  human  hair  about  this  crown  the  beetle  is  repulsed, 
or  if  his  presence  is  noticed  in  the  crown,  a  sharp  iron  spike  of  about 
5  inches  in  length  is  jabbed  into  the  crown  ;  the  beetle  is  impaled 
and  drawn  out. 
The  bud  is  a  peculiar,  horn-shaped  pod,  about  2  feet  in  length ; 
it  has  a  very  graceful  curve  from  tip  to  tip,  gradually  increasing  in 
diameter  to  the  centre,  where  it  is  about  2  inches  thick. 
Just  previous  to  bursting  into  flower  the  pod  is  full  of  a  sweetish 
liquid.  Cutting  off  the  tip,  this  liquid  exudes,  is  collected  by  the 
native  and  called  "  toddy."  This  peculiar  practice  does  not  kill  the 
plant,  as  does  the  similar  operation  of  the  Mexicans  preparing 
pulque  from  the  agava,  but  seems  to  act  as  does  pruning  in  our 
orchards. 
The  collected  juice  may  be  treated  in  several  ways.  It  is  concen- 
trated till  crystallization  begins,  and  cooled,  when  the  so-called 
"jaggery"  or  palm  sugar  is  obtained.  This  product,  as  shown,  is 
in  irregular,  brownish-yellow  slices.  Again,  suppose  the  juice  is 
exposed  to  the  air,  it  promptly  ferments  and  alcohol  is  formed ;  if 
the  native  now  distills,  he  obtains  a  pale  yellowish,  pleasant-flavored 
sort  of  brandy.  This  is  sold  in  Ceylon  under  the  name  of  "  arrack." 
If  not  distilled,  acetous  fermentation  sets  in  and  a  palm  vinegar 
results ;  this  is  brownish  and  not  so  perfectly  clear  as  is  the  wine. 
The  flower  is  made  up  of  from  six  to  eleven  ivory-white  petals, 
each  petal  being  2  feet  in  length  and  spear-shaped.  In  the  dark- 
green  tuft  of  foliage  the  flower  shows  up  beautifully  and  may  be  seen 
a  mile  away. 
A  month  later  a  cocoanut  rests  where  the  flower  was.  The  native 
climbs  up  the  tree,  using  a  sliding-rope  appliance,  and  cuts  the  stem. 
The  nut  dropping  from  even  the  90-ioot  and  fully  grown  tree  is  un- 
injured, thanks  to  a  thick,  hard  husk,  surrounding  an  inch  thickness 
of  matted  fibres,  in  turn  enclosing  the  nut  proper. 
The  husk  is  cut,  the  matting  of  fibre  is  removed.  This  fibre  is 
pale  brown  and  up  to  a  foot  in  length  ;  mats,  cloth  and  brushes  are 
made  from  this  "  coir"  fibre.  The  smooth  cocoanut  is  now  exposed 
and  is  either  sold  in  the  market  as  such  or  worked  up. 
The  shell  is  often  used  to  make  dippers,  cups,  carved  receptacles, 
etc. ;  being  quite  hard,  it  takes  a  beautiful  polish. 
