388 The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



the Philippines. The reasons for the steady 

 rise in the price of copra are many. The prin- 

 cipal are the extensive use of its products for 

 commercial purposes, for making edible fats, 

 such as palmine, and the rise in price of articles 

 now being supplanted by copra products. At 

 the present time there are several factories in 

 Germany engaged in making imitation butter, 

 palmona, and other edible products from the 

 meat of the coconut. 



Another item which contributes to the rise 

 in price of copra is the shortage of fats of all 

 kinds due to the scarcity and high price of hogs. 

 Lard, for instance, has risen to about 65 centavos 

 a kilogramme, which is double what it cost two 

 years ago. Cotton-seed oil, which has been 

 used extensively in place of pork fat, has also 

 risen in price to such an extent that the use ot 

 copi .i products has become imperative. Uopra 

 products are also being used as a substitute for 

 tallow. There is also a growing demand for coco- 

 nut oil, for which millions of coconuts are being 

 nsed every year. It would aeem that the pros- 

 pect for the coconut industry in the Philippine 

 Islands is brighter than ever before.— Straits 

 Times, September 14. 



POTATO CULTIVATION AT 

 OOTACAMUND. 



Ootacamund, Sept. 16. —The results obtained 

 from the potato seed sold by Government, raised 

 from the recent importation of Australian po- 

 tatoes which were grown by Mr Oakes, are giving 

 most satisfactory results. Mr Butcher, the 

 Curator of the Government Botanical Gardens 

 and Parks, has harvested 



CROPS WHICH WORK ODT OVER 20 FOLD. 



The best results so far, however, have been 

 obtained by Mr Bush. On May 17th he 

 planted 15 ounces comprising 39 potatoes, 

 all of which were about the size of Barcelona 

 nuts. On the 10th inst. he harvested his crop, 

 with' the results that 12 tubers of Brownell's 

 Beauty weighing 4J oz., produced 173 potatoes 

 weighing 18| lb. 15 tubers of Satisfaction, 

 weighing oz., produced 103 potatoes weighing 

 10 lb. and 12 tubers of Cambridge Kidney, 

 weighing 6ioz., produced 124 potatoes weighing 

 14 lb., or a total yield of 42J lb. for 15 ounces 

 sown] 39 tubers producing 400 potatoes.- -M. Times. 



EAST ASIATIC CO. AND THE SOYA 

 BEAN INDUSTRY. 



Soya Cake Factory Erected at Copenhagen. 



The British Consul at Copenhagen states that 

 a soya cake factory has been erected there with 

 capitF-1 provided by the East Asiatic Company 

 at a cost of about 1,000,000 kr. (£55.500). It is 

 estimated that as at present arranged 100 tons 

 of soya beans can be pressed in 24 hours, and 

 that, if necessary, the output could be increased. 

 The factory appears to be well equipped and 

 fitted with the latest improvements. The East 

 Asiatic Company's own vessels are likely to 

 largely contribute to the activity of the factory 

 by bringing the beans from the East for pres- 

 sing, though a quantity of soya beans has 

 already been shipped from the United Kingdom. 



It is anticipated that by establishing this, and 

 in the course of time other oil cake factories, 



DENMARK MAY BE ABLE TO OBTAIN A MORE 

 EFFECTUAL CONTROL OVER THE PRICE OF BUTTER 



than has been the case hitherto, and avoid the 

 enormous fluctuations of price which of late have 

 been so much in evidence. 



A French agency states that Mr Li Yu Jin, 

 who established the first soya bean industry in 

 Paris, has returned from China after consulting 



CHINESE CAPITAL OF F. 1,500,000 FOR DEVELOPING 

 THIS ENTERPRISE IN EUROPE. 



The soya will be worked at Paris, Brussels, Lon- 

 don, and Berlin, and will be consumed in the 

 form of milk, sauce, soup, vegetable, jam, cheese, 

 floor, and bread. — L. <k C. Express, Aug. 19.. 



CHARCOAL- MAKING AS A NEW AND 

 PROMISI NG IND USTRY. 



For Ceylon. Some time ago we predicted 

 in our columns that it would be so. Now, 

 with the introduction of charcoal-gas-power- 

 plants, and the large number of "Chula" Tea 

 Driers now in use in Ceylon, it would appear 

 that the benefits of charcoal " Chula 1 ' fired Teas 

 are becoming recognised as the best ; and un- 

 doubtedly great credit is due to Mr. J. R. Far- 

 bridge, the inventor of the "Chula" Tea Drier, 

 for his enterprise and energy for renewing the 

 principles of the old 11 Chula " method of Drying 

 Teas. In addition, the great economy effected 

 in saving of jungle coolies, and actual cost of 

 drying Tea. By the use of Charcoal it is calcu- 

 lated that there is a saving of 50 per cent in fuel. 

 We have received an interesting pamphlet on 

 How to Make Charcoal — which is well worth 

 the attention of every Tea and Rubber Planter. 



THE OIL SEED CRUSHING INDUSTRY 

 IN EUROP E. 



It looks as if before very long there will be 

 a considerable importation into Manchester, by 

 way of the Canal, of oil seeds, &c. Hull, 

 Bristol, and Liverpool already derive a large re- 

 venue from this trade, and a recent commercial 

 report on Marseilles shows how the industry 

 has contributed to the prosperity of that great 

 port. During 1909 the oil-seed crushing in- 

 dustry at Marseilles was very prosperous, and 

 the imports of oil seeds (mostly from the 

 French Colonies in China) were the largest 

 on record for ten years and amounted to 

 596,000 tons against 465,000 tons in 1908. The 

 short output of cotton-seed oils in the United 

 States, and the shortage in the Italian and 

 Spanish olive oil output, caused a constant de- 

 mand for edible oils, and Marseilles crushes 

 benefited largely. A much increased demand 

 arose for coconut oil for use in the manufacture 

 of margarine, and, owing to tho high prices of 

 lard and other animal fats, the copra contrac- 

 tors sold their product at record prices. Soap 

 manufacturers, in consequence, met with much 

 difficulty in procuring sufficient supplies of 

 coconut oil. It is curious that while the United 

 Kingdom was quick to realise the possibilities 

 of the Soya bean there is no traae whatever 

 in this commodity in Marseilles, but it is to be 

 noted that there is a customs duty of 2 francs 

 50 cents per 100 kilos on Soya beans imported 

 into France. — Society of Arts Journal, Sept. 2. 



