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77ie /Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



which will endure storage in the bodega for 

 several months is considerably longer in the 

 oase of an apparatus like this than with a hot- 

 air, or rotary oven type— makers of some 

 machines of the latter type claiming to bo able 

 to turn out thoroughly dried copra in " two to 

 three hours." 



Either husks, shells (or in the case of the 

 Birchfield method, the two materials attached), 

 wood, or coal, can be used for fuel. Only the 

 simplest type of boiler is required for furnishing 

 steam ; of course, a comparatively large grate is 

 necessary if the husks are used ; and in case the 

 shells alone are burned, care must be taken to 

 protect the sides of the furnace from the in- 

 tense heat by means of sheet iron or similar 

 material. The water condensing from the pipes 

 in tho drier returns, of course, to a tank or re- 

 servoir from which water is injected back into 

 the boiler as often as required. Thus Jthere is 

 practically no expense for either fuel or water 

 in operating a drier of this type. 



Tho present drier cost about p600. A drier 

 constructed along similar lines with reinforced 

 concrete walls, boiler, and accessories complete 

 having a capacity of about 15,000 nuts per 

 twenty- four hours, can be constructed for ap- 

 proximately p2,5u0. 



The drier exhibited at the Exposition grounds 

 was set up there before it had been tested or 

 even assembled at the factory. Considering 

 this fact the results obtained were exceptionally 

 good. A number of prominent copra dealers 

 and owners of coconut plantations examined the 

 drier in operation and were enthusiastic over 

 the quality of the finished product. Several of 

 these people wanted to Hy the drier, stating that 

 they were well satisfied with the results. 



This drier will be taken to the Pandacan re- 

 pair shops of the Bureau of Agriculture where 

 exhaustive tests and experiments with it will be 

 carried on for several months until accurate in- 

 formation has been obtained as to the most 

 economical method of drying copra. The in- 

 formation thus obtained will then be published. 



PROTECTION OF COCONUT PALMS 

 FROM BEET LES. 



In the Philippines, 

 Act No. 286 of the Legislative Council of 

 Moro Province, passed April 29th, 1912, is 

 printed herewith and, though a drastic measure, 

 provides the only apparent remedy for the 

 beetle scourge which has already created great 

 havoc in the coconut groves of this Province. 

 This act as proposed was given publicity several 



weeks ago, and discussion of the measure was 

 invited. As every tree infected by beetles 

 is doomed to death and is also a nucleus of in- 

 fection for all surrounding trees, the sooner 

 radical measures are adopted for the destruction 

 of infected trees and the discontinuance of 

 breeding places, the better for the welfare of 

 the entire coconut industry. 



We anticipate that there will be much dis- 

 satisfaction with the enforcement of this law by 

 those who already have infected trees ; but as 

 the safety of remaining, sour.d trees, as well as 

 future plantings, depends upon prompt and rad- 

 ical measures, it is to be hoped that there may 

 be co-operation of all coconut owners in saving 

 this most important industry. 



Act No. 286. 

 Section 1. — It shall be the duty of the owner 

 or person in charge of any coconut tree which 

 is dead or attacked by the rhynchophorus fer- 

 ruginous, commonly known as the red beetle, 

 to immediately uproot such tree and either to 

 burn the same or to bury it in the ground at a 

 depth not less than one meter or completely 

 submerge it in water so that said tree may not 

 serve as a breeding place for beetles and that 

 the beetle and eggs and larvae thereof which 

 may be contained in said tree shall be totally 

 destroyed. ' / 



Section 2. — Any owner or person in charge of 

 coconut trees who s'^all neglect or refuse to per- 

 form the duty imposed upon him by the next 

 preceding section shall be liable to a fine not 

 exceeding fifty pesos for every tree in respect to 

 which such neglect or refusal occurs. 



Sec, 3.— -It shall be unlawful for any person to 

 keep or permit to remain on premises owned or 

 occupied by him dead coconut trees or stumps, 

 coconut timber or rubbish heaps, vegetable re- 

 fuse, or other matter likely to harbor or become 

 breeding-places for the oryctes rhinoceros, com- 

 monly known as the black beetle, or the rhyncho- 

 phorus ferruginous, commonly known as the 

 red beetle, and any such person who shall ne- 

 glect or refuse to remove or destroy the same 

 when requested so to do in writing by any officer 

 of the district or municipality wherein said 

 premises are located, or by any owner or occu- 

 pant of land planted with coconut trees and 

 situated within one mile of the premises on 

 which such dead coconut ttees or stumps, cooo- 

 nut timber or rubbish heaps, vegetable refuse, 

 or other matter are kept, shall be liable to a 

 fine not exceeding two hundred pesos. 



Sec. 4. — Upon the conviction of any person 

 under sections two or three hereof the governor 



