It rises to a height of from sixty to one hundred feet, and terminates in a crown, of graceful, waving leaves. Some of these leaves reach a length of twenty feet, and have the appearance of gigantic feathers.
The fruit consists of a thick outward husk of a fibrous structure, and within this, is the ordinary cocoa-nut of commerce.
The sh.e.l.l of the nut is hard and woody, and a little over a quarter of an inch in thickness. Next to this sh.e.l.l is the kernel, which is also a sh.e.l.l about half an inch thick, and composed of a white substance very pleasant to the taste. Within this white eatable sh.e.l.l, is a milky liquid, called cocoa-nut milk.
[Ill.u.s.tration]
The cocoa-nut is very useful to the natives of the regions in which it grows. The nuts supply a large portion of their food, and the milky fluid inclosed within, forms a pleasant and refreshing drink.
The sh.e.l.l of the nut is made into cups, and from the kernel, cocoa-nut oil is pressed out and largely used in making soap and for other purposes.
In Ceylon, the tree is cultivated extensively. It is estimated that there are twenty million trees in that island, and that each tree produces about sixty nuts yearly. The wealth of a native is based upon the number of cocoa-nut palms he owns.
Another well-known tropical fruit is the fig, which grows on a bush or small tree about eighteen or twenty feet high.
The fig-tree is now cultivated in all the Mediterranean countries, but the larger portion of the American supply comes from western Asia and the south of France.
The varieties are extremely numerous, and the fruit is of various colors, from deep purple to yellow, or nearly white.
The trees usually bear two crops--one in the early summer, the other in the autumn.
When ripe, the figs are picked and spread out to dry in the sun. Thus prepared, the fruit is packed closely in barrels, baskets, or wooden boxes, for commerce.
Oranges and lemons are cultivated in nearly all warm countries. They grow on trees somewhat smaller than apple trees, and must be picked for export while they are hard and green.
They ripen during transportation, so that green oranges put up and sent to us from Sicily or other distant points, change to a golden yellow color by the time they reach us.
Oranges are grown largely in Florida and Louisiana, extensive orange orchards being frequently met with in traveling through those States.
The oranges grown there are considered very choice, and are generally sweeter than those brought from Italy.
Language Lesson.--Define the following words, giving the meaning of each part as indicated by hyphens: _ex-port-ing, un-common-ly, dis-trust-ful, pro-vid-ing, un-bear-able, un-hope-ful_.
The syllables _placed before_ a stem are called _prefixes_; those _placed after_ a stem, _suffixes_.
The words _shall_ and _will_ are used to indicate _future time_; as, I shall go; you will go; he will go.
The three tenses of an action may in a general way be represented by the words _yesterday, to-day_, and _to-morrow_.
Let pupils fill blanks in the following statements, and state the tense of each action.
We ---- go to see them next week.
John ---- last night.
You and I ---- in school at the present time.
LESSON LXVII.
found"ed, _established; placed_.
gar"ri son, _soldiers stationed in a fort or town_.
strode, _walked with long steps_.
coun"cil, _a number of men called together for advice_.
in cit"ing, _moving to action_.
de vot"ed, _very much attached_.
de feat"ed, _overcome_.
cul"ture, _a high state of knowledge_.
or"na ment ed, _adorned_.
wam"pum, _sh.e.l.ls used by the Indians as money or for ornament_.
fan tas"tic, _wild; irregular_.
THE STORY OF DETROIT.
The early history of Detroit is highly romantic. It was founded in 1701 as a military colony.
It soon became one of the most important of the western outposts of Canada, and as the French and Indians were usually on the most friendly terms, the colony for a long time existed in a state of happiness and contentment.
At the close of the French War, Detroit contained over two thousand inhabitants. Canadian dwellings with their lovely gardens lined the banks of the river for miles.
Within the limits of the settlement were several Indian villages. Here the light-hearted French-Canadian smoked his pipe and told his story, and the friendly Indian supplied him with game and joined in his merry-making.