and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society \— April, 1910, 



375 



Shipments op Copra from Various Points 

 for 1908 and 1909. 



1909. 1908. 



From— tons. tons. 



Manila, Jan.l to Dec. 31 102,501 86,000 



Ceylon, Jan. 1 to Doc. 13 34,?00 33,010 



Straits, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31 73,300 80/ 00 



Java and Dutch East Indies, Jan. 1 to 



Dec. 31 113,8( 146,000 



South Sea figures estimated 48,500 tons. 



Arrivals of Oil Seeds at Marseilies. 



1909. 1908. 1907. 



tons. tons. tons_ 



Copra 136,655 163,999 109,744 



Palm kernels 3,639 1,675 4,412 



Mowrah, IUipe, etc. 8,856 11,146 12,781 



Imports of Palm Kernels into Hamburg 

 and habburg. 



1909. 1908. 190 > 



tons. tons. tons 



January-December, 

 Imports into Liverpool 



235,616 193,468 118,019 

 17,306 20,826 23,450 



-Neiv York Oil Reporter, Feb. 21. 



WESTERN AMERICAN COCONUT 

 OIL TRADE. 



Chicago, Jan. 26. — Coconut oil has reached 

 a high point in the West, and has come by 

 some to be regarded as almost a luxury. Soap- 

 makers are forced to bid high for this oil in 

 competition with each other and supplies are 

 reported to be the smallest they have been in 

 recent years. The supply of copra was smaller 

 the past year than it had been the previous year, 

 shipments from the principal points where it is 

 produced being less by about 27,000 tons in 1909 

 than they were in 1908. Exclusive of Tahiti 

 and the Samoan Islands the shipments were 

 324,855 tons, against 352,496 tons the previous 

 year, and the outgoing movement from both 

 Tahiti and Samoa was smaller. Reports are to 

 the effect that the crop will not be as heavy 

 this year as it was last year, though it is a 

 little early to make such predictions. There 

 is only a comparatively small supply that is 

 being taken by this country, mills on the 

 Pacific Coast taking it all. The principal 

 mill there reports that it has enough copra 

 to keep it going for some time to come, and 

 with the frequent arrival of cargoes, that there 

 probably will be sufficient for needs, but the 

 indications are that the demand for oil will so 

 increase that prices are likely to advance. Euro- 

 pean dealers say that the prospects for a lower 

 market for oil are not good, especially as coco- 

 nut butter cannot be considered now except in 

 connection with a consideration of the lard 

 market. If lard continues high, and there does 

 not seem to be any reason why it should break 

 sharply until after the opening of the packing 

 season next fall, when the country will be 

 in a position to figure on the size of the 

 spring crop of pigs, then coconut butter, as a 

 competitor, must go higher, for it is already 

 selling 4|c. under lard prices in Europe, and 

 is being used very largely as a substitute. 

 The more coconut butter that is used the 

 greater will be the demand for oil, and as the 

 inquiry for the oil for edible purposes is on the 

 inrcease all the time, it is difficult to figure how 



this oil can remain at present prices unlessother 

 facts suddenly drop or the supply of copra is in- 

 creased beyond all expectations. The price for 

 copra at San Francisco is about $4'95 for the 

 fair merchantable grade, while the sun dried 

 will sell within a range of $5 @ 5'15 per hundred- 

 weight. Present prices are the highest, with 

 one exception in the bistory of the trade and 

 the difference is only a fraction at that. Should 

 Tahiti and Samoa run short, it is likely that 

 the cost of copra laid down in San Francisco 

 will be higher than ever. 



European coconut oil has almost complete 

 monopoly of the Chicago market, for the reason 

 that it costs less to get it here from Marseilles 

 than it does from the Pacific coast. For this 

 reason California coconut oil is hardly quotable 

 here, but it has the advantage over the Euro- 

 pean oil west of the Missouri River. Spot 

 Ceylon oil can be had down in Chicago at about 

 9^c. per pound but it would cost 9|e. at the 

 Missouri River, while the California Ceylon 

 can be bought there at §8'55 a hundred. Cochin 

 oil is quoted here at luc. a pound, and Califor- 

 nia Cochin at the same price at the Missouri 

 River. From these high prices there does not 

 appear to be any relief in sight and as the soap- 

 makers are increasing their demand all the 

 time, as are the users of the oil for edible pur- 

 poses, it looks as though the trade will have to 

 find eventually a substitute for this oil, instead 

 of using it as a substitute for other fats and oils, 

 as has been the case heretofore.— New York 

 Oil Rejpo ter, Jan. 31. 



DISINFECTION OF TEA SEED. 



Calcutta, March 31, — The accompanying letter 

 of March 22nd from Dr. Hope is issued for 

 general information.— D K Ounnison, Assistant 

 Secretary, Indian Tea Association. 



Calcutta, March 22. — Formaline is largely used 

 for the purpose of disinfecting seeds. Com- 

 mercial formaline consists of 40 per cent solution 

 of formaldehyde, which is a powerful dis- 

 infectant. Tea seed can conveniently and safely 

 be treated with a 0-25 per cent solution of com- 

 mercial formaline. This can be prepared by 

 mixing commercial formaline with water, in 

 the proportions of 1 volume formaline to 400 

 of water. Tea seeds should be placed in such a 

 solution for two hours and afterwards taken 

 out and carefully dried by exposing to the air in 

 a clean cool place. During drying the seeds 

 should be turned over occasionally so as to ex- 

 pose them to the air on all sides. 



RUBBER STATISTICS FROM HAWAII. 



By D. C. Lindsay. 



There are in the islands five incorporated com- 

 panies whose principal business is the growing 

 of rubber. Statistics have been obtained from all 

 of these and also from two individual planters. 



No statistics were received from either Kauai 

 or Oahu. 



Six reports were received from Maui and one 

 from Hawaii. 



The acreage controlled by these companies 

 and individuals is 5,599 acres. 



