129 



bushel of nuts. About 3200 nuts go to a bushel and It is calcu- 

 lated, judging from the heavy bearing character of the tree (it is 

 a usual sight to see several branches of a tree coming down 

 through the weight of the crop), that a yield of 4 to 6 bushels 

 per full grown tree, or even at times up to 7 or 8 bushels, should 

 be obtained. This represents anything above Rs. 15/- per tree 

 at the present local valuation of the oil — not taking into con- 

 sideration the manurial value to be derived from the cake. The 

 tree requires little or no cultivation. An acre left to the candle- 

 nut tree should prove a very remunerative plantation for the 

 owner. On the above estimate, at the rate of 25 to 30 feet apart 

 per tree, owing to its spreading habit, 60 trees will cover an acre 

 with some other crop, for which the candlenut should serve as a 

 valuable shade. Candlenut trees should therefore prove a safe 

 inter-crop and a profitable industry. 



Demand. 



The foreign demand for the oil is insistent, but with the hand 

 wedge-press to express the oil, it is difficult at present to guar- 

 antee shipments of 10 to 20 tons, though according to a broker 

 and commission agent in Colombo who investigated the matter 

 "there would be no difficulty in getting 50 to 100 tons, but it 

 would mean sending out a regular army of collectors and having 

 stores at Kandy and other centers." 



As demand creates supply, supply must necessarily create de- 

 mand and, if those so situated as to be able to set apart a small 

 plot for the tree would ponder over the possible industry that 

 will ultimately be created, Ceylon should become one of the 

 principal suppliers to America and England of the oil which is 

 so much in demand. 



The candlenut tree being of speedy growth would also prove 

 a valuable fuel to meet estate requirements. 



J. S. De SlLVA. 



The United States geographic board has approved the chang- 

 ing of the name of Bald mountain, near Sumpter, Oregon, to 

 Ireland mountain in commemoration of the late Henry Ireland, 

 who, for ten years, was supervisor of the Whitman national 

 forest on which the mountain is located. Ireland mountain is 

 8330 feet high, and has a forest service lookout station on its 

 summit. 



