Cost of Making Copra 417 



tion of buildings, for interest on the capital, 

 and to provide for a reserve fund. 



Again, at 2,400 nuts to the acre, and 

 4^ n piculs 1 to the 1,000 nuts, rather over 10 

 piculs can be calculated as going to the acre. 

 Let us call it 10 piculs to facilitate calculations. 

 On such a basis as we have been discussing, the 

 copra would cost $3.87 per picul to produce, 

 against $10.32 gross revenue per picul per 

 annum. At 50 nuts to the tree, four palms 

 would therefore give 200 nuts or about i picul 

 of copra, or an average net profit per year 

 of $6.45 (about 155.), equal to 35. qd. per 

 palm, exclusive of interest, reserve fund, or 

 deterioration. 



As Ceylon has been quoting up to Rs.io6 

 per candy of 560 lb., after a stiff rise had 

 occurred, $10 or 235. 4d. a picul of 1333 lb. 

 is near enough for a trustworthy estimate. 



" The cost of copra making in Samoa," wrote 

 Mr. H. J. Moors from Apia, as recently as 

 August 13, 1913, "varies on different planta- 

 tions owing to many causes. One estate may 

 be quite level and well roaded, another hilly 

 and cut up with gullies. One near the sea, and 

 .others well inland over a poor road. One 

 employing Chinese, and another Solomon 

 Island labour, and a third using Samoans. 

 All of these causes make great differences in 



1 Picul == 1331 lb. ; 100 katties = i picul ; 16 piculs 

 80 katties i ton ; 3 piculs = 400 lb. ; $ = 2s. 4d. 



27 



