and Magazine of Hie Ceylon Agricultural Society. 



which are being devoted to this form of agri- 

 culture in the Federated Malay States, have 

 reached Kelantan with the result that every- 

 body who has a piece of land lying fallow now 

 wishes to see it covered with Para rubber trees as 

 soon as possible. For this purpose a considerable 

 number of seeds and young plants have been 

 imported from Singapore and from the Perak 

 State. Seeds were preferred, the plants supplied 

 by the rubber estates being too highly priced to 

 suit Malay ideas, but lately large numbers of 

 young plants have been brought into the State 

 for sale by Chinese growers and these being much 

 cheaper than the plants formerly obtainable, 

 have come very much into demand. What will 

 be the outcome of these small plantations it is 

 difficult to foretell. The possibility is that many 

 of them will come to nothing, but it is also clear 

 that in a few years' time there will be a consid- 

 erable number of trees in the State of tappable 

 size though probably of slightly inferior rubber 

 producing quality owing to want of sufficient 

 care during the early stages of their growth. 

 There should, however, be a regular supply of 

 rubber and if the price of the article is main- 

 tained there should be a good opening for a 

 rubber- buying agency to take the produce of 

 the lands off the Malays.— S. F. Press, May '29. 



CEYLON COCONUT OIL TRADE. 



Our important staple, Coconut Oil, had been 

 for a long time past, since October 1878, declin- 

 ing in value ; but recent years show great re- 

 covery. At the time mentioned, the London 

 quotation was £49 with a stock of only 9U0 tons, 

 Cochin oil being then quoted as high as £66. 

 During the previous period of scarcity of Coco- 

 nut oil in December 1868, the London price was 

 £50 against a stock in London of 2,500 tons; and 

 going again back to end of 1862 and beginning 

 of 1863, we find that the London price of Ceylon 

 Cocorint oil was £53 with stocks in London of 

 2,0D0 tons. We have so far been dealing with 

 the minimum stocks of the article and the 

 maximum prices obtained, and it will be re- 

 marked that on each recurrence of scarcity the 

 price has been lower than on the previous occa- 

 sion. We now turn to the period of maximum 

 stocks and minimum prices. We find that in 

 May 1865 with a stcck of Coconut Oil in London 

 of 15,700 tons, the price then was £40. In Sept., 

 1870, with a stock of 8,000 tons, the price was 

 £37 to £38, and the lowered value in this instance 

 was— be it remarked - at a time when the stock 



was nearly one-half ol the quantity. On Oct., 

 iS73, stocks inLondon had risen to 13,800 tons 

 and prices had declined to £32 15. 



Coconut oil remained on a much lower level 

 of value after 1870 than before it. This was 

 due to the largely increased production of Palm 

 oil and the competition it has caused since. 

 Later on we have another influence at work to 

 reduce prices of the staple in Europe. This 

 was the increasing production of Copra in the 

 South Sea Islands, &c, and the Export of it 

 mostly to the Continent of Europe where it is 

 manufactured into oil. The demand for Coco- 

 nut oil in recent years has been helped by the 

 large increase in its treatment for edible pur- 

 poses on the Continent and elsewhere. A turn 

 for the better took place during 1901 with 

 great demand for soap-making, and prices have 

 since been at a high level, more especially in 

 1906 and 1907, 



Anything which will benefit Ceylon people 

 is of the first importance to us and we herewith 

 wish Coconut Growers all the success they 

 well deserve. 



Ceylon Coconut Oil. 



January 



Stock in Spot Price C.I.F. 



London of Oil Per Price of 



Tons. Cwt. Copra Per 

 Cwt. 



I860 ... 4,629 41/ — 



1865 ... 14,997 36/ — 



1870 . ... 6,073 41/ _ 



1875 ... 5,886 38/ _ 



1880 ... 3,263 37/ — 



1885 ... — _ _ 



1890 ... _ 04/ ] T/6 



1891 ... 875 29/ 17/0 



1892 „ 1,591 23/3 14/ 



1893 ... 618 23/6 16/ 



1894 .. 568 25/6 14/6 



1895 ... 614 24/ — 



1896 ... 594 22/9 — 



1900 ... 234 25/6 15/6 



1901 ... 100 25/6 17/6 



1902 ... - 200 31/6 18/9 



1903 ... 200 29/ 17/ 



1904 ... 400 25/9 15/9 



1905 ... 200 30/ 19/1 <- 



1906 ... 200 28/6 19/ 



1907 ... 200 39/3 25/9 



1908 ... 200 30/ 19/6 



A FERTILISING FODDER PLANT FOR 

 RUBBER AND OTHER ESTATES. 



Burringbar, Tweed River, N.S.W., May 25th. 

 Sir,— Having frequently read of the groat 

 trouble and expense planters experience in trying 

 to maintain the fertility of their lands, would 

 you kindly permit me to give a description of 

 " Melilat" or "Pea Clover." (Melilotus Offi- 

 cinalis.) This plant grows on an Island off the 



