Demand for Coco-nut Products 359 



say, 5,000 head of cattle or pigs, it would 

 probably pay well to turn all the copra into 

 oil, if only to obtain the poonac for cattle 

 feed. The value of this by-product is rapidly 

 increasing. Coco-nut meal is becoming recog- 

 nized as a concentrated feed of high value, 

 and as an organic fertilizer equal to cotton- 

 seed meal. Again, dairy experts in Australia, 

 the Agricultural Journal of British East 

 Africa tells us, state that the use of copra 

 cake is most beneficial in keeping cows in 

 excellent condition, and in maintaining the 

 milk supply at profitable levels. The best 

 feature of the feed for the Australian dairy 

 farmer is that the ration can be nicely adjusted 

 to the supply of grass in the pastures. If 

 milk cows are heavily fed while they are 

 running on good grass, the actual return from 

 this cake is less than when the hand feeding is 

 so adjusted as to supply what is lacking in the 

 grass. If long dry spells of weather occur, as 

 are frequent in Australia, the milk supply of 

 a cow feeding on natural grass alone may 

 decrease from perhaps 12 quarts to 6 quarts 

 a day or less ; if the deficient grass diet is 

 supplemented by oil cake the normal supply is 

 again forthcoming. Thus the demand for 

 such cakes varies greatly with weather con- 

 ditions affecting the natural fodders. The 

 use of copra cake in connection with poultry 

 raising in Australia is also increasing, as it 

 apparently results in a gain in egg production. 



