* about 2/. 10s., which leaves a profit of 5/. per acre. It may be — 
&. that Denik is shipped to Europe, where it sells at from 167. to 2 
** per ton. 
As regards the husk fibre, it is stated that the bulk of the fibre 
prepared in Fiji has hitherto found a market in Australia and New 
ill sent t 
“ 154. to 302, per ton, and yarn from 20/. to 302. per ton in Fiji. The 
“ cost of labour to produce one ton of fibre, ees of cost and wear 
“ of machinery, may be put down at from 5/. t 
Besides the three principal articles of commerce - obtained from the 
cocoa-nut palm, copra, cocoa-nut oil, and coir, the kernel of the nut is 
eaten in large “quantities when young and fresh, and the hard, bony 
shell is m . into drinking vessels, and other useful and ornamenta 
ticles is estimated in Fiji, where the cocoa-nut thrives so 
lux xuriantly ikai it will, ere on ae with sugar, tea, and coffee, as 
of ane ealth to the 
ees oot (Piper me deetan mom finest masses of this root shown 
at the Exhibition were afterwards obtained for the Museum collection 
o 
together with a samp ou oot ava root is the source 
from whence t beverage called Kava is made, in former 
ti by masticating the root, ejecting the saliva into bowls and 
fermenting The root is kn o have diuretic properties, and has 
attr om i this country of late for its medicinal 
and sold at the refreshment bars, It was described as “having been 
ie e Royak drink of the Fijian and Samoan Chiefs from time im- 
pea Boxwood.—The botanical source of this wood cannot be 
traced, nothing but specimens of the wood itself, prepared in square 
ks d 
blocks and smoothed ready for engraving purposes, having been 
i e d is of a very dark reddish brown colour, close an 
ven-gra and apparently very dense, and from outward appearances 
it would seem to be a good substitute for boxwood. Upon submitting 
a e to Mr. Robson J. Scott, the well-known boxwood block 
sien cioten, of 8, Whitefriars Street, E.C., for his opinion, I was 
favoured with the following, dated 17th June 1886 :—“ I think your 
* Fiji wood has no special claim for engraving purposes, its colour is 
“ bad and reduces its value. It would he only fit for common work, 
“ for which nature supplies us with a sufficient quantity of inferior 
“ box.” In a further communication, ‘dated 2lst June 1886, Mr. 
Scott says .— Another word upon this wood. Cutting upon wood is 
“ like drawing upon paper, if it is tinted there must be a limit to the 
“ density of the tint, or your drawing will be absorbed by the tint upon 
*¢ which it is drawn, n engraver would have difficulty in observing 
£ pis progress yeb domy his wor 
e up to two y emar eln 
