THE COCONUT BELT 41 



The mode of cultivation hitherto adopted by the 

 natives has not, of course, yielded very brilliant 

 results, their methods being somewhat primitive. 



Until recent years, most of the coconut trees 

 throughout the Dutch East Indies belonged to the 

 local natives, but now, with the exception of some 

 large properties owned by Dutch and other Euro- 

 peans, the Chinese have become the principal 

 owners. Besides cultivating the coconut on their 

 own estates, they have their agents in all the 

 numerous surrounding islands, who collect the nuts 

 and ship them in the husk, or dry, to Macassar. 

 So important has this trade become that the Indian 

 and Chinese moneylenders, eager to secure the nuts 

 at bargain rates, will advance on growing trees to 

 the natives, sometimes for two or three years ahead, 

 on condition that they be allowed to purchase 

 l-he nuts at prices fixed at the time of making the 

 advance. 



The Chinese and the Dutch have, up to the 

 present, been most favourably placed for securing 

 control of the coconut areas, and of the islands 

 where the nut grows, as in most cases they have 

 the advantage of knowing the natives and speaking 

 their language. European firms who have en- 

 deavoured to deal direct with the natives without 

 the assistance of an agent conversant with the 

 native customs and language have found their 

 efforts fruitless, as a rule, the prices demanded and 



