In its young and green state, the cocoanut contains a clear albuminous fluid, with a sweetish taste and a slight degree of astringency, which makes it a very agreeable, refreshing beverage ; and it is also used by house plasterers as an ingredient in their whitewashes made of pure lime. But as the nut advances to its full maturity, the fluid disappears, and the hollow is filled by the almond-like dried albumen, which is the germinating organ. This pulp or kernel, when young, can bo easily removed by a spoon. 1Vhen cut in pieces and dried in the sun, it is called copra, which forms an extensive article of commerce throughout the south and east of Asia. It is used grated in curries, or its milk is expressed from it ; and from copra a valuable oil is expressed, which is employed in anointing the body, is used in lamps, is largely converted into the stettrine candles of England, and forms an invaluable substitute for cod-liver oil. The refuse oilcake, poonac,' forms an excellent manure. The white and solid albumen is often cut into orna ments of flowers and fruits, meant to reproient the garlands given to visitors of distinction. They are worn by Tanjore ladies at particular festivals.
The very young or heart-leaves of this palm aro called the cabbage, and form an excellent vegetable, either cooked or dres.sed in stews, hashes, or ragouts. In the Laccadive Islands, the heart-leaves of the tree, just before they unfold, are cut out and plaited into mats of fine quality, which are there used as sails for the smaller boats, and are much esteemed when export.ed. In India, the leaves, dried, and called by Europeans cadjans, are plaited and used as thatch, and for the outer and inner linings of walls of houses. The leaves are also made into mats, baskets, both fancy and plain; into fans, combs, brooms, screens, buckets, and lanterns; iiito articles of dress; and into leaf-books, torches, and fuel. 'I'he foot stalks of the fronds are used for fences, yokes, shoulder-poles, and fishing-rods. The midribs of the leaves or fronds are fibrous, but brittle, and are used as brooms. The roots of the tree are chewed as a substitute for betel-nut.
One of the beverages known to Europeans as palin-wine or toddy, is obtained froin the flower spathes. Before the flowers have expanded, the spathes—and these are themselves astringent and used medicinally—are tied with the young leaves, and then cut transversely from the top down wards, and beaten daily with the handle of the knife or a piece of hard wood, and the sap, after a few days, exudes into a calabash or earthen pot. In the •early morning this is a pleasant, refreshing drink ; but it fernients towards night, and becomes an intoxicating fluid, which is largely drank, and is used as a ferment. It is to a great
extent artificially brought to the vinous and acetous fermentations, and, in the former state, an alcoholic spirit is distilled from it, which forms one of the arracks of commerce. One hundred gallons of toddy produce, it is said, by distillation, twenty-five gallons of arrack : eight gallons of sweet toddy, boiled over a slow fire, yield two gallons of a luscious syrup, from which, by further boiling, a coarse brown sugar is produced, known in commerce as jagari. The net-like substance Peynadi, TAM., Jalla mitts, }lisp., at the base of the petiole, when very young, is delicate, beautifully white, and transparent ; but when it attains inaturity, becomes coarse and tough, and changes to a brown colour. Portions of these are everywhere used as strainers and sieves, for straining fluids, sifting arrowroot., etc. ; and the Tahitian fishermen convert it into a garment when fishing.
The flowers contain a powerfully astringent property, which is used medicinally ; and it is from the flower and spathes, before the flower has expanded, that the toddy or palm-wine of this tree is obtained. The Tahitians extract a gummy substance, called Pia-pia, from the trunk of the tree.
George Ilerbert, writing of the cocoanut, has said,— . . . 'The Indian's nut alone Is clothing, meat and trencher, drink and can, Boat, cable, sail alai needle, all in one.' In Malabar and Ceylon, every available spot within the influence of the sea-breoze is being devoted to the growth of the cocoanut. Along the western coast of the Madras provinces, the wavy downs near the sea borders, which have hitherto produced only a stunted and worthless crop of grass, are being everywhere levelled, broken up, and manured, so as to form the beds of future plantations. Cocoanut trees have great enemies in the shape of two beetles. One of these is a large Curculio (Rhynchophorus Sach) called the red beetle, nearly as big as the stag-beetle of Britain ; the other is the Oryctes rhinoceros, so called from its projecting horn. The red beetle is so called from the red mark on the upper part of its breast. Its attacks are said to be on the nut, but those of the rhinoceros beetle are on the terminal bud of the palm stem. When so injured', the bud dies, and the crown of the leaves falling off, leave the cocoanut tree a mere bare stein. The same result occurs to other palms, the palmyra, the betle, in which the top bud, or cabbage, as it is called, is destroyect—Collingwood Simmonds; Royle's Fib. Pl.; Madras Exh. Jury 1?eports; .s'eeman on Palms; Ainslie; Madras Lit. Soc. Journ.; J. Ind. Arch.; Eng. Cye. ; Elliot's Flora Andlirica; Cal. 1?eview ; Mak°Im's Tr. ii. p. 176.