--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Adams, John Q. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 13 number: 9 published: 1910-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'John Q. Adams, "Cocoanut Culture Commercially," *Improvement Era* 13, no. 9 (July 1910): 788–792.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1309unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera1309unse start_page: 788 end_page: 792 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1910-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1309unse publication_year: 1910 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1910, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Cocoanut Culture Commercially Cocoanut Culture Commercially. BY JOHN Q. ADAMS, OF THE SAMOAN MISSION. [A second article, illustrated, on this subject, is promised by the author, which will deal with the cocoanut plantation work of the elders, at the gathering places of the Saints in German and American Samoa respectively. — Editors. ] Conflicting were the emotions that surged through the mind of an erstwhile Columbus on a certain memorable night in October of 1492, as his eyes beheld the dancing torchlights of the inhabitants of a new world. Conflicting, too, are the thoughts of a more modern beholder of things new, as the Pacific liner creeps nearer in-shore to one of the numerous bits of island dotting the South sea, and he obtains his first glimpse of a rich tropical scene. Perhaps at beautiful Hawaii does the pleasing experience first befall him. As the initial, bold headland, with flattened crown and surf -beaten base, gradually takes its place to the rear, a scene of appealing natural beauty at once begins asserting itself, and the predominating feature is the luxuriant vegetation. Eyes accustomed to the scantily attired, sagebrush Rockies, here search in vain for a break in the dense verdure. Rearing their heads high above the common level, the stately cocoanut palms are discerned from afar, and as the distant glance develops into closer acquaintanceship, this family of monarchs lose none of their first novel impression. In the home market one may have purchased a stripped specimen of fruit for a quarter and, after eagerly draining every drop of the precious "milk," as voraciously have devoured the crisp, white flesh, without ever bestowing a thought on what a tale the monkey-like face could unfold were its avocation a talkative one. COCOANUT CULTURE COMMERCIALLY. 789 In lieu of this, suppose that we assume the role of spokesman, and place the cocoanut where it properly belongs,in the fixed relationship of plant to animal. Scattered over enough of the earth's warmer latitudes to be classed as the universal hot-climate tree, we find various specimens of the palm family, the cocoanut palm standing far in the van from the utility standpoint. As these lines are penned from mid-Pacific, they will naturally deal in part with what the cocoanut means to the Pacific Islander, together with its place in the commercial world. First let us glance at local conditions. For a specific example, supposing Samoa be dealt with. Of volcanic origin, the interior of these islands is exceedingly rough — practically inaccessible. At some places the upheaval abruptly ends with the ocean waves, the perpendicular mass of lava rock admitting of no beach. But mostly a sandy, low-lying, shelving beach extends inland from a few hundred feet to a mile or more, and it is on this that the cocoanut thrives best, each island being veritably fringed or framed in a thick, unbroken line of majestic trees, extending to the water's edge. So closely do Mother Nature's land forces contest with her sea forces for a boundary line, that it is really a continual battle along the disputed territory between out-stationed cocoanut sentries and the encroaching battering ram of surf and wave. The hungry, ever-restless waters undermine and level ignominiously on the beach great numbers of trees, but in spite of such conflict, the utmost harmony in reality prevails, for the bracing sea air and underground trickling moisture of the beach is just the ideal conducive combination for a thriving tree. So much for conditions in Nature's domain. Now for a few items relative to the utility of the cocoanut. To deal briefly with its importance in native life we may make the statement that it is the staff in more ways than one. From the fibrous husk a tough, wiry rope is braided, which takes the place of nails in binding the frame-work of the houses, and is a generally useful article. The pebble floor is covered with mats woven from the cocoanut leaf, and in all kinds of carrying, cocoanut leaf baskets are the receptacle. Water for house use is kept in vessels made from the whole shell of the nut, while a polished half -shell serves for the cup in the dignified ceremony of passing 790 IMPROVEMENT. ERA. the "ava" or native drink. Canes and other curios are made from the wood for tourists trade, and house timbers are improvised from the trunk. Then there is the food question, the most pressing of all. The grated meat is readily made up into a variety of dishes and combinations, all rich, nourishing and tasty. And as a by-product the cocoanut meat, with but little effort, may be transformed into pork and eggs. Interesting as the above might be made by a descriptive, detailed write-up, the limited confines of this article will not permit of further mention of it, and we shall now proceed to quite another phase, the cocoanut in commerce. The "copra" trade is one of the world's commercial items that must not be overlooked. In the one matter of soap alone we are deeply indebted to the cocoanut tree, for without its balmy, creamy oil, our skins misht chafe under more drastic cleansers. To follow out the various stages of copra-making in natural sequence, we will begin at the beginning. The well systematized method of cocoanut culture nowadays calls for a nursery to begin aright. Large, smooth, well-filled and formed nuts are selected and set on edge on the ground, or in perhaps six inches of soil, all close together and with the eyes pointing upwards. Soon a shoot peeps up, and upon attaining a height of a couple of feet, the transplanting to a permanent place occurs, the trees being set about thirty feet apart each way. For the succeeding three or four years all the ground is weeded, but when the trees have grown up beyond damage from cattle, the latter become the clearing agents, roaming at will over the plantation. In approximately seven years the trees have reared their heads some twenty feet in the air, and tassels, similar in appearance to those adorning our common corn stalks, appear at the base of the leaves. On these, miniature nuts are soon discernible, looking for all the world like acorns. In a few months the meat begins to harden, and now is when the drinking quality of the cocoanut is at its best — sweet, sparkling, snappy and exhilarating. Not long afterward the matured husk turns a dull brown, and the now ripened nut tumbles heavily to the ground. No nuts are picked fronTthe tree for copra making, as only the fully matured COCOANUT CULTURE COMMERCIALLY. 791 ones produce a first class, oily article. Once the tree commences bearing, the crop is a perennial one, always being found on the tree in all stages of development, from blossom to nut. The tree is a long liver, one hundred years of useful service being no impossible goal for a well located tree to reach. To gain an insight into the copra-making industry let'us take a pleasant mile stroll out from Apia, through one of the largest cocoanut plantations in the world. The firm, a German concern, has something like fifteen thousand acres planted in different places on these islands, and, with nearly all in full bearing, the sight is a magnificent one. As one saunters along the well kept private road, the broad expanse of hundreds of acres stretch away on either hand. The trees are scarcely more than a foot in diameter, perfectly straight and smooth-barked to a height of from twenty-five to seventy-five feet, and are surmounted by a stately crown of long, graceful leaves, at the base of which clusters the fruit to an average aggregate of perhaps fifty. The grass is kept from the roots by a gang of blacks imported from the Solomon Islands. Queer, trim built, little, muscular fellows they are, clad in vivid scarlet loin-cloths. In diligence they more than make up for their diminutive size. Herds of sleek cattle crop the luxuriant grass contentedly, raising their heads in surprise as the white intruder passes. Down the road come a number of cage-like wagons, filled with cocoanuts and drawn at a creeping pace by patient oxen. As the loaded wagons come lumbering in, their contents are dumped, and husk, shell and all is split in twain by a black boy with an ax. Others take the nut in hand as it is halved and with their heavy knives dexterously slice out the meat in curls. The husks and shells are utilized in the furnace which operates the drying room, in which the meat is stacked in trays made of spaced slats. In about three days it is dry enough to be shipped, the steamer each month carrying it away in large burlap bags to Sidney, from which port it is distributed to the different marts of the world, chiefly in France, to be made up into soaps, oils, etc. The copra market, like the wheat exchange, is subject to fluctuations, the price ranging from one to five cents per pound. At the common rate of two cents, an acre of fairly productive 792 IMPROVEMENT ERA. cocoanuts will net approximately twenty-five dollars per annum. Taken all in all, from the standpoints of utility and extraordinary features, the cocoanut tree occupies the relationship in the tropical vegetable kingdom that the lion does in his animal sphere, a monarch, and to man it stands as his best hot-zone friend. Apia, Samoa. Soldier of the Cross. (For the Improvement Era.) Not like a knight of the olden days, who fought for a woman's love — Not like a hero in strife of war, with a floating banner above; But truly a soldier he — , Who goeth out to the world, With a message of love and a sword of peace, And the emblem of Truth unfurled. Far from his native, snow-crowned hills, far from his fireside cheer, Into the lands all unknown to him, he goes without thought of fear; Yet often amidst the silence — And oft 'midst the city's glare, His heart turns back to the peaceful vale, And to those who lo/e him there. Sometimes he looks at a pictured face, a face that is almost fair — Perhaps he smiles at the golden threads, of a baby's silken hair. Or, perchance, 'tis a sweet-heart's face he sees — Like a flower smiles back to him, And he reverently thanks the Father of all — She is safe from a world of sin. What brings he back from the battlefield? Not wreaths, nor fame, nor power; But a soul unstained by the lust of the world, and strength for the weakest hour. No song, no cheer of welcome rings, No laurel wreath for his brow; There are few who know of the victories won, Or can claim him a hero now. But a blessing on those who, in blessing thee, bless the Master of earth and heaven, And blessing on those who turn away, and a prayer in mercy given. We wait to welcome you home again, 0 soldier of cross and crown! For the cross was borne, but the crown will be given To thee when the sun goes down. Grace Zenor Robertson. Parker, Idaho.