WOODHOUSE AND TAYLOR. 137 



to about 16% of the cost price. This is not sufficient margin 

 to allow us to assume that higher prices could be given for the 

 raw material, unless an increased price were obtained either for 

 the oil or the meal. 



It would appear, however, that £6-10 per ton is a ridicu- 

 lously low price to pay for a food of such concentrated feeding 

 quality as soy bean meal. The former cheapness of the meal 

 has been due probably to the fact, that until quite recently it 

 was found impossible to remove the objectionable odour due to the 

 solvents used in extracting the oil. Of late, however, a meal has 

 been put on the market which has not any trace of smell of the 

 solvents used, and it is possible that the advent of this meal will 

 raise the price of the product to a considerable extent, and enable 

 the manufacturer to pay better prices for the raw material. 



As prices are at present, it would appear doubtful whether 

 the growth of the soy bean crop could be extended for export 

 purposes. Our experiments appear to point out that yields of 

 8 — 12 maunds per acre may be expected with reasonable care, and 

 at the present time prices of Rs. 3/- to 3/4 per maund free on rail 

 is required by the few growers of indigenous soy beans. This 

 works out at about £5-8 to £5-17 per ton. The reason for 

 this high rate is not that the cost of cultivation is high as it 

 is probable that in Bihar it should not exceed Rs. 10/- to 15/- 

 per acre. The crop, however, is a difficult one in that it is on 

 the land much longer than other pulses, and that it has in 

 consequence to pay rent for two seasons. This difficulty may be 

 met by the introduction of early ripening varieties, but of this 

 we are unable to speak with certainty. Unless a higher yield 

 or an earlier ripening variety can be obtained, however, there 

 would appear to be little possibility of making sufficient profit 

 at the price of Rs. 2-8 per maund or £4-10 per ton which is 

 offered by merchants in Calcutta. 



There can be no doubt that the crop is intrinsically worth 

 more than this, for it has been shown that, with reasonable 

 prices for the oil and meal, the manufacturer can obtain over 

 £9-10 per ton for the seed after manufacture. 



