agar is obtained. 



g. Since 

 1923 various experiments 

 have been made in Japan 

 to modernize the dzying 

 and purifying of agar-agar 

 by using mechanical re- 

 frigeration and artificial 

 drying. So far the cost 

 of mechanical methods hat 

 been prohibitive under 

 Japanese conditions of 

 plentiful, cheap labor. 



D. Production and 

 Jlx^ort 



Figure 9. Filling and stacking drying trays. 



1. The average 

 prodxiction of agar-agar during the years from 1930 to 1940 inclusive, was 

 2,476 metric tons per annum and the average value was ¥10,569,486. The 

 average amount exported per annum in this period was 1,525 metric tons 

 or 61 percent of the average production. The production for the yeax 

 19'i5 was 716 metric tons with a total value of ¥10,390,945. The price 

 of ¥12.8 per kilogram was more than three times the average of that 



12 



