435 



centage of fat as copra and rather more than palm kernels and it is 

 considered that in the market, the oil should fetch about the 

 t^ame ])rice as coconut oil and palm oil. 



Tliere are certain difficulties in dealing successfully with it, the 

 chief of which are (1) the exceptionally hard nut which necessitates 

 special crushing apparatus and (3) that experiments w^ith meclianical 

 crushing show that the kernels bruise very easily and during 

 transit to any distance the oil in them becomes rancid. The 

 latter is under further investigation and it is probable that the diffi- 

 culties will be overcome successfully in the near future. 



• 



Possibilities. The ]X)ssibility of tbe palm ever being of any 

 economic value in this country feems improlialile, owing to the 

 length of time needed l)efore the plant l)ecomes sufficiently mature 

 to produce fruits. A\'hen once this stage has been reached the 

 3'ield seems fairly regular and no doubt on a large area sufficient 

 fruits could be obtained to make it a paying concern. Until it can 

 be made to produce fruits at an earlier age it is of no value in 

 Malaya. It seems to be a subject for further investigation and if 

 d'ata could be obtained from British Honduras dealing with yield 

 and age, the question could quickly be settled as to whether it 

 would l)e worth while experimenting with a view to shortening the 

 period needed for fructification or not worth while. 



The note dealing witli the use of Attalea juits in the coagulation 

 of rulyber, points to two possibilities: — (1) the extraction of oil 

 from the kernels and (2) the use of the hard sliell for coagulating 

 rubber, provided Attalea Coliune and Ilevea brasiliensis could pro- 

 fitably be grown in close proximity. The latter point is open to 

 criticism in that a certain aniuujit of oil of an inferior quality can 

 be extracted from tlie shells and with the mechanical proljlems solved 

 no doubt this would be extracted and placed on the market. AYhich 

 of the-e two {irocodures would he most ]3rofitahle it is not possil)le 

 to state and can only be determined by actual experiment. It 

 may be mentioned in passing that as Attalea Coliune grows in low 

 lying land, there would appear to be a use for the low-lying swampy 

 portions of land often found on estates and vVhich are put to no 

 practical use. This however, all depends upon the question of 

 shortening tbe period between the sowing of the seed and tbe fruit- 

 ing stage, so far as Malaya is concerned. 



F. FLrPPANCE. 



THE BRAZIL-NUT TREE IN SINGAPORE. 



In 1011 Mr. W. J. Young, discussed the Brazil nut in the 

 Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany, 1, pp. 122-134, and 

 came to conclusions Avhieh are questionable. It is convenient to in- 

 troduce the subject in his own opening sentences. " The genus, 

 Bcrtholletia, to which is assigiied the Brazil-nut of commerce, was 



