8S 



Tfie Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



THE COPRA TRADE IN 1911. 



Like 1910, the year 1911 was an important 

 one to owners of coconut palm estates and to 

 speculators in copra. Prices for copra were 

 well maintained during the pa^t year, except 

 that the highest price of 1911 was slightly below 

 that of 1910 by a quarter of a rapes. Wnen the 

 market was beginning to show firmer in Septem- 

 ber last and so continued for a short period of 12 

 days, it was expected that the value would rise 

 to the unprecedented figure of Rs. 100. This 

 expectation, however, was not realised. On 

 November 1st the price stood at Rs. 91 and 

 then began a downward tendency with alternate 

 fluctuations until the price of Rs. 84 50 was 

 paid on December 31st last. At the present 

 moment, the price stands at Rs. 80 50 for 

 Estate copra and a Rs. 79-50 to Rs. 80'25 for 

 Marawila. 



The total ex port of copra during 1911 amounted 

 to 782,034 cwt., shewing an increase of 62,772 

 cwt. over the preceding year. 



As before, Germany heads the list as a pur- 

 chaser of 558,176 cwt. by an increase of 136, 197 

 cwt. ; next comes Russia also by an increase of 

 4,236 cwt. over previous year's purchases. France 

 takes the next place after Germany and Russia. 

 The purchases of other countries, viz, Austria, 

 Belgium and Denmark, show considerable de- 

 crease. It wili be interesting to know the reason 

 for this poor show. Holland, after an experi- 

 mental purchase of 3 cwt. in 1910, has well 

 advanced by taking 1,001 cwt. during 1911. 

 We sincerely hope that this new field for the 

 island's product will be a larger purchaser 

 during the current year and following years. 

 By the way it is worthy of note that the United 

 States have purchased 5,508 cwt., slightly above 

 that of 1910. In 1905 a start was made with 2 

 cwt. — as samples probably. 



Subjoined are particulars of copra exported 

 in 1911 to the United Kingdom, the continents 

 of Europe and America, according to the order 

 of quantities purchased. 



An increase 





Cwt. 



of cwt. 





Germany 



568,176 



138,197 to that of 



Russia 



160,746 



4,236 



1910 



France 



15,198 



6,566 



do 







a ecrerse 









of 









cwt. 





Austria 



12,097 



61,478 



do 



Denmark 



11,000 



3,489 



do 



Belgium 



10,508 



20,562 



do 







an increase 









of 









cwt. 





United Kingdom 



7,500 



5,478 



do 



Holland 



1,001 



998 



do 



United States 



5.60S 



1,001 



do 



Total exported 782,034 



Our neighbouring continent (India) and Italy 

 are altogether out of the list for 1910. The in- 

 crease in the purchase by Germany, Russia, &c. 

 aggregated 154,476 cwt. The decrease by 

 Belgium, Austria and Denmark amount to 

 88,529 cwt. 



The following is a brief summary of the posi- 

 tion of the market and the dates on which the 

 highestjprices were fetohed during 1910 and 1911. 



1910. 





Ks. c. 



1911. 



Rs. 



c. 



January 



18 



86 75 



JaDuavy 14 



82 



ST 



February 



1 



83 62 



Febru try 3 



78 



oo 



March 



23 



85 75 



March 1 



68 



00 



April 



28 



93 50 



April 26 



73 



60 



May 



9 



90 75 



May 9 



81 



26 



June 



12 



86 25 



June 30 



80 



60 



July 



SO 



84 75 



July 15 



81 



75 



August 



31 



87 25 



August 3t 



87 



00 



-ept 



12 



93 00 



Sept. 13 



93 



25 



October 



1 



90 75 



October 27 



93 



00 



Nov. 



16 



87 75 



Nov. 1 



91 



00 



Dec. 



7 



82 75 



Dec. 6 &31 



84 



60 



From the Export retur 



ns of the 



Singapore 



Chamber of Commerce to December 31st, it 

 appears, under the heading of copra, a quan- 

 tity of 1,104,078 piculs (cwt. 1,311,09-22-14; has 

 been exported to the Continent of Europe, 

 whilst in 1910 a quantity of 1,197,793 piculs 

 (cwt. 1.422,379-0-21) was exported, thus showing 

 a decrease of 93,715 piculs (cwt. 111,288-2-7.) 

 To Great Britain no less than 30,355 piculs 

 (cwt. 36,046-2-7) had been exported in 

 1911. Placing these figures against the total 

 quantity 111,664 piculs (cwt. 132,601) ex- 

 ported to England in 1910, there shows a reduc- 

 tion of 81,309 piculs (cwt, 96,554-1-21) during 

 the past year. The United Kingdom purchased 

 a larger quantity of Ceylon copra during 1911. 

 Does this show that the product of this island 

 is gaining ground with English buyers on the 

 score of cheaper freight, shorter time for dis- 

 tance, and for other advantages which Ceylon 

 copra possesses over the Straits article ? 



COCOA, COCONUTS AND RUBBER IN 

 T RINIDA D. 



The report on the Blue-book of Trinidad and 

 Tobago for 1910-11 says : — 

 Cocoa. 



The exports of cocoa continue to increase in 

 quantity, 57,858,640 lb of the value of £1,230,907, 

 having been exported during the year ending 

 Dec. 3 1st, 1910. The manurial experiments at 

 River estate have been continued, and also on 

 private estates in different parts of the Colony. 

 It is too early yet to draw definite conclusions. 

 Spraying experiments conducted by the Board 

 of Agriculture indicate a profit over the cost of 

 the spraying. Diseases of cocoa, fortunately not 

 very serious, have continued to receive careful 

 attention. To promote better methods amongst 

 small growers a cocoa prize competition has 

 been arranged, and is expected to produce useful 

 results; the number of entries — 430 — was much 

 larger than was anticipated. 



Coconuts. 



The cultivation of this tree is being extended 

 in certain districts of both Trinidad and Tobago. 

 Diseases, as in other parts of the world, have 

 caused some difficulty, but care is being taken to 

 keep them in check. The exports during 1910 

 amounted to 18,872,962 nuts, 2,046,621 lb of copra 

 and some oil, making a total value of £86,823. 

 Rubber. 



This product continues to receive much at- 

 tention. Large supplies of Castilloa and Funtu- 

 mia seeds are available locally, as also moderate 

 supplies of Hevea seeds from local trees. Ex- 

 periments of tapping and preparing rubber have 

 been continued by the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, and planters in Tobago are making marked 

 advances. Trees of both Castilloa and Hevea rub- 

 ber give normal yields ; of Funtumia but little is 

 known at present; 7,376 lb of rubber valued at 

 £1,395 were exported. — Financier, Dec. 27. 



