Chapter XIII 

 The Preparation of Copra 



WHILE the coconut yields many products 

 of substantial commercial value, as we 

 have seen, copra is undoubtedly the most 

 important of them all, not only by reason of its 

 natural qualities, but also because there is, and has 

 been for some time, such a persistent demand for it 

 that the price has been steadily rising. This 

 upward tendency appears likely to continue for 

 some time to come, owing to those developments 

 which are discussed in the opening chapter of this 

 work. 



This appreciation in price is strikingly demon- 

 strated by the fact that while in 1909 the average 

 quotation was only 15 per ton, in 1910 it rose to 

 20, and in 1911 to 30. The following table 

 shows the quotations since that year : 



