166 FOREIGN COCONUT ENTERPRISE 



coconut, convinced that other and more profitable 

 uses can be found for it. This has led to an immense 

 increase in their trade in the produce of the coconut 

 and palm oil. Within a period of two years their 

 imports under this head increased from about 

 4,200,000 to 9,300,000, and further expansion is 

 anticipated as their plantations develop in various 

 regions. 



Confirmation of this progress is furnished by the 

 author of The Cult of the Coconut, who, after 

 carefully studying the reports of German researches 

 and experiments with the coconut and other 

 tropical produce, states that he was astonished at 

 the extraordinary detail in which they have been 

 studying the question ; the care and patience with 

 which they have carried out observations and 

 the lucid manner in which they have marshalled 

 their facts and presented them to their 

 compatriots. 



We ourselves have also had occasion to note the 

 thoroughness with which the Germans have now 

 embarked in this industry and by what means they 

 have been able to organise a system of statistics 

 which enables those interested in the coconut 

 industry to realise the progress made. It is much to 

 be regretted that similar statistics are not 

 available in this country. A step in the right 

 direction has, however, been made by the Board 

 of Trade, which recently announced that, owing to 



