Italy, to which countries it is, by some, considered indigenous.
In the southern part of the European continent, it is eaten both
raw and roasted. The tree was introduced into Britain by the
Romans; but it only flourishes in the warmer parts of the
island, the fruit rarely arriving at maturity in Scotland. It
attains a great age, as well as an immense size. As a food, it
is the least oily and most farinaceous of all the nuts, and,
therefore, the easiest of digestion. The tree called the _horse
chestnut_ is very different, although its fruit very much
resembles that of the other. Its "nuts," though eaten by horses
and some other animals, are unsuitable for human food.

COCOA-NUT SOUP.

125. INGREDIENTS.--6 oz. of grated cocoa-nut, 6 oz. of rice flour, 1/2 a
teaspoonful of mace; seasoning to taste of cayenne and salt; 1/4 of a
pint of boiling cream, 3 quarts of medium stock No. 105.

_Mode_.--Take the dark rind from the cocoa-nut, and grate it down small
on a clean grater; weigh it, and allow, for each quart of stock, 2 oz.
of the cocoa-nut. Simmer it gently for 1 hour in the stock, which should
then be strained closely from it, and thickened for table.

_Time_.--2-1/4 hours. _Average cost_ per quart, 1s. 3d.

_Seasonable_ in Autumn.

_Sufficient_ for 10 persons.

[Illustration: COCOA-NUT PALM.]