Alcohol from Coco-nut Palms 557 



disease, as well as the black beetle (Oryctes 

 rhinoceros) and red weevil {Rkynchophorus 

 ferrugineus). 



It has been stated that there are over twenty 

 varieties of coco-nuts here ; the old green and 

 yellow, common all round the world, comprise 

 probably 98 per cent, of the total number. 

 I believe the largest nuts in the world are 

 produced around Lingayen Gulf, Luzon Island. 

 At the San Ramon coco-nut grove in Min- 

 danao only some 200 nuts are required to 

 make a picul (137^- lb.) of copra, while in 

 the Laguna and Tayabas districts it takes 300 

 to 400; there may be no net advantage in 

 growing a nut that gives 12 oz. of dry copra, 

 but it certainly is good to gaze upon. 



" The present rate of export is some two 

 million piculs, worth rather more than 

 ,2,000,000 on dock. I believe there is no 

 safer industry in the Far East, looking 

 especially to the future, than copra ; and 

 these Islands will probably soon control that 

 market, not only in quantity but also in 

 quality '." 



