FORESTRY OF WEST AFRICA. 



35 



Northumberland Avenue, London, W.C. The figures 

 speak for themselves of the growth of this trade, and 

 of the important part the Elais gidneensis has played 

 and commercially still plays in West Africa. Query 

 whether it will continue to play, in view of price 

 to which its oil has fallen, from £^2 per ton it 

 formerly fetched ; of the scare and temporaiy cessation 

 of business its low price caused last year ; and of 

 its growing rivals in the shape of petroleum, tallow, 

 home and foreign ; cotton, ground-nut and linseed oils? 

 I must say, however, that if there is a commodity 

 which from the circumstances and conditions of the 

 growth of the palm-tree, the harvest of its crop, and 

 the manufacture of its oil, should be able to accom- 

 modate itself to any variation of the market, it is 

 palm oil. 



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