Edible Product?, 



the unquestioned benefits that have inured to these few Jolo trees from tin- 

 use of irrigating waters than the present season of 1902—3. From many sources 

 l-eports came to this Bureau of trees failing, or dying outright, from lack of moisture. 

 "While it is true that the present dry season has had no parallel since 1885-86, that the 

 rainfall during the dry season has beeu less than half the normal, yet it should not be 

 forgotten that, during the eight months from October to May, inclusive, the 

 average percipitation on the west coast, at the latitude of Manila, is- only about 

 460 mm. and that, when the amount falls below this, the coconut is bound to suffer. 

 Though it is true that the evil effects of drought maybe modified if not altogether 

 controlled, by cultivation, the assistance of irrigation i>laees the cultivator in an 

 impregnable position. If evidence in support of this statement were called for, 

 it might be found to-day in the deplorable condition of those groves that have 

 been permitted to run to pasture, as compared with those in which some attempts 

 have been made to bolo out the encroaching weeds and grasses. 



It is probably true that, except on very sandy soils, continued surface 

 irrigation would aggravate the superficial root-developing tendency of the tree ; 

 and to what extent, if any, occasional laceration by deep shovel tooth cultivation 

 would injure the tree remains to be seeu. There are, however, few economic plants 

 that so quickly repair root damage as the Palmae, and, unless the seat of 

 injury extends over a very large area, it is probable that the resulting injury 

 would be of no consequence, as compared with the general benefits that would 

 result from irrigation.— Philippine Bureau of Agriculture, Farmers' Bulletin, No. 8, 



CEYLON COCONUT PRODUCTS IN 1905. 



Owing to a very short rainfall during the best blossoming season of 

 1904, the crops picked during the same period this year were unusually poor, not so 

 in number of nuts, but in size and quality, and showed a very unusual deficiency. 

 This and the very heavy shipments in 1904 in a great measure account for the 

 serious shortfall in copra shipped during the past year, it being little over half 

 that for 1904. 



The year, therefore, was a bad one for estates, as also for copra driers 

 and desiccating mills ; but, strange to say, notwithstanding the very large 

 percentage of small nuts, the shipment of nuts in shell was in excess of all 

 previous years. Everything seemed to go against the growers and millers during 

 the year ; for, while the home and local prices were low, it took an unusually 

 large number of nuts to produce a given quantity of copra and desiccated 

 nut, the former running to 1300—1500 ; while well over three nuts were required 

 to produce 1 lb. of desiccated. With this year's record shipment of desiccated 

 nut, 20,072,905 lb.— or, 13,657,997 lb. over that of 1893, consumers were overfed, and 

 so there was no life in the markets. Hence the very low prices, anything but 

 commensurate with the high price and poor quality of nuts offered. 



Now that oil mills are turning out pure white oil, and which it seems they 

 are doing with any kind of copra, it points to increased make and shipments 

 of cheap stuff ; and a falling-off in the demand for first quality which should 

 result in cheaper nuts in the future, so that if the demand for desiccated nut 

 continues as at present, mills should do better and be able to work full time. 

 This they cannot do just now owing to the great scarcity of nuts and high 

 price of the same, as also the low offers for this product, shipments of which 

 are bound to be very short for the first quarter. If buyers cannot offer millers 

 something better than the miserable fraction of a cent per lb. profit as at present, 

 the result will be they will have to shut down when prices are bound to rise. 



