RECIPROCITY 
353 
America are reversed, so that they have sum 
mer when we have winter, which means that 
their fruits and vegetables, melons and berries 
are ripe when we have snow on the ground. 
The apples, peaches, pears, plums, apricots, 
nectarines, cherries, grapes and melons of 
Chile are as good as our own. A profitable 
return awaits the one who will forward these 
goods in refrigerator ships to our big northern 
markets. 
In Colombia and Ecuador large quantities 
of tagua or ivory nuts formerly grew wild. 
They are about the size of a goose egg, or 
slightly larger, very hard and a dead white, 
protected by a thin black skin. For years no 
one knew what to do with them. Finally an 
enterprising German found that they could be 
converted into buttons. To-day the ivory nut 
is cultivated for this purpose, and forms one of 
the leading exports from the countries named; 
the shipments for 1913 amounted to over 
$5,000,000. The finished button is sold not 
only to the Latin Americans, but throughout 
the world as well.