562 



OLEAGINOUS PLANTS. 



the product is finer, and fetches a better price in the London 

 market. 



Amongst the imports from British possessions in Asia, were 

 2,600 cwts., of copperah (dried coco-nut kernels, from which oil 

 is expressed), valued at £1,100; amongst the imports re-exported 

 to Grreat Britain, we find 870 cwts. of the same article, valued at 

 £300. Of the oil exported a quantity of 11,000 gallons was 

 shipped for the United States. About 600,000 piculs of coco-nut 

 oil are annuallv exported from Siam. 



A large quantity of oil is made in Trinidad, chiefly on the east 

 coast, where, in one locality, there is an uninterrupted belt of coco- 

 nut palms fourteen miles in extent. They usually bear when . 

 years old. 



The cultivation of the coco-nut in a proper soil presents a ve 

 profitable speculation for small capitalists. Whether sold a 

 the rate of a dollar per hundred in their natural state, to captains 

 of ships, who freely purchase them, or manufactured into oil, they 

 are a very remunerative product. Each tree in the West Indies is 

 calculated to produce nuts to the value of one dollar yearly. There 

 is one thing to which we would draw the attention of chemists 

 and other scientific men. 



Por twenty -four or even forty-eight hours after its manufacture 

 this oil is as free from any unpleasant taste as olive oil, and can be 

 used in lieu of it for all culinary purposes, but after that time it 

 acquii^es such a rancid taste as to be wholly unpalateable. If any 

 means could be discovered of preventing this deterioration in 

 quality, and preserving it fresh and sweet, it could compete with 

 olive oil, and the price and consumption would be largely raised. 



COCO-NUT OIL IMPORTED INTO THE UNITED KINGDOM. 



Imports. Eetained for home consumption, 

 cwts. cwts. 



1835 19,838 14,015 



1836 26,053 26,062 



1837 41,218 28,641 



1838 — 38,669 



1839 — 15,153 



1840 — 37,269 



1841 — 26,528 



1842 — 26,225 



1843 — 29,928 



1844 — 42,480 



1848 85,453 54,783 



1849 64,451 14,622 



1850 98,040 46,494 



1851 55,995 2,333 



1852 101,863 27,112 



A London coco-nut oil soap was found, on analysis by Dr. Ure, 

 to consist of: — 



Soda ....... 4-5 



Coco-nut lard ..... 22-0 



Water ...... 73-5 



1000 



