February, 1912.] 



103 



Oils and Fats. 



is certainly the last Russo-Japanese war 

 when agriculture in Manchuria was 

 greatly stimulated as this country had 

 to provide for the large numbers of 

 soldiers located there. At the end of the 

 war the armies were withdrawn, and 

 Manchuria was obliged to export the 

 surplus of its food products, mainly, Soy 

 beans. 



The first large cargo of the bean 

 reached Hull on the 2nd of March, 

 1909, and contained 5,200 tons. Ever 

 since then the demand for this bean has 

 rapidly increased and British oil-crushers 

 are setting up big machines for the 

 bean-oil. On the continent of Europe 

 as well as in England, a good deal of 

 interest is being manifested in the Soy 

 bean industry. The following facts 

 taken from the Indian Trade Journal 

 of April 28th, 1910, will give an idea of the 

 importance that this trade is rapidly 

 acquiring now-a-days. 



" Up to 1907 the total exports of Soy 

 beans from Manchuria did not exceed 

 120,000 tons annually. In 1908 the ship- 

 ments amounted to 330,000 tons, and in 

 1909 they ranged between 700,000 and 

 800,000 tons. 



It is understood that large elevators 

 are being erected outside Hull for 

 handling the bean. This indicates that 

 the trade is expected to be not only 

 large but permanent ; and there remains 

 no doubt that this remarkable new 

 trade will affect the Indian business in 

 oils seeds." 



Mr. F. E. Wilkinson, H. M. Consul at 

 Newchwang, in his report on the trade 

 of that district in 1909 writes : — 



"In 1908, 178,000 tons of beans and 

 318,000 tons of bean-cake were exported 

 from Newchwang, and 438,000 tons of 

 beans and 276,000 tons of bean-cake from 

 Darien, making a total of 016,000 tons of 

 beans and 594,000 tons of bean cake. 

 Now as 100 tons of beans are required to 

 produce 9 tons of oil, it may be estimated 

 that to produce 594,000 tons of bean-cake, 

 653,400 tons of beans must have been 

 treated, so that the total quantity of 

 beans represented by the combined 

 exports of bean produce from the two 

 ports was, 1,269,400 tons. Exports from 

 Other places on the coast would bring 

 the total exports from South Manchuria 

 to about l,300,000fcons." 



Mr. R. M. Hodson, H. M. Vice-Consul 

 at Vladivostock, in his report on the 

 trade of that district in 1908 to 1909, 

 writes : — 



"The Soy bean export to Europe 

 through Valadivostock commenced in 

 December, 1908, and shipments continued 

 all through 1909 till October, the total 



amount exported to Europe being 200,000 

 tons. The cargo was nearly all carried 

 in British bottoms and destined to oil 



mills in the United Kindom The 



centre of the trade for North Manchuria 

 is Kharbin, and several British firms 

 have recently opened buying agencies 

 there." 



One great advantage in Soy bean 

 trade is that the beans arrive in Europe 

 in a perfect condition from distant 

 Manchuria. 



Price. 



The following extract is from the 

 report of the Consul at Newchwang 

 from which an extract has aleady been 

 made : — 



" At the time of the first shipments to 

 Europe, the price of the beans laid down 

 at Darien was about £3 10s. per ton. By 

 the spring of 1909 the value of the Soy 

 bean as an article of commerce had 

 become generally known, and a large 

 number of British and other firms enter- 

 ing the held as prospective buyers, 

 competitions gradually drove the price 

 up. The new crop though well up to 

 the average proved not to be equal 

 either in quality or quantity to that of 

 1908, The price of beans consequently 

 rose still further, and in Febuary, 1910, it 

 reached £Q 5s. per ton, the highest point 

 it has touched as yet. 



"At the price meutioned, China and 

 Japan are practically out of the market 

 as buyers, and about 80 per cent, of the 

 purchases of beans made since December 

 last have been for the European 

 Market." 



THE CULT OF THE COCONUT. 



(From the Tropical Life, Vol. VII., 

 Nc. 11, November, 1911,) 



The Question op Manuring. 

 It is commonly asserted that the uses 

 of the coconut palm are as numerous as 

 the days of the year. Apart from local 

 uses, where the leaves serve as roofing, 

 the mid ribs for basket-making, and the 

 hard shell for domestic utensils, the 

 more important commercial comaio- 

 dities are, in the first place, the dried 

 kernel known as coprah, from which a 

 valuable oil is expressed ; then comes 

 the fibre from the pericarp, which enve- 

 lopes the shell, used for ropes and cord- 

 age ; and lastly, the sap from the young 

 stems and blossoms, which when fer- 

 mented, provides us with arrack and a 

 good quality of vinegar. With such an 

 important plant it may be of interest to 



