598 
THE TROPICAL 
AGRICULTURIST. [Mahcii 1, 19GL 
DISTRIBUTION OF OUR COCONUT 
PRODUCTS. 
The Distribution lable compiled by the 
Chamber of Commerce, sliowing tlie destina- 
tion of our Exports, is of continuous interest 
to tlie statistician and the businessman. The 
figures for last year bearing on tiie products 
of the Coconut palm, are, lil^e those of pre- 
vious years on which we have commented, as 
puzzling in some respects as they are inter- 
esting. There is one circumstance whiclj 
must strike the observer — the wide distribu- 
tion of these products, goiug, as one or other of 
them does, (several in some cases) direct to 18 
out of 19 countries whose names appear on the 
Export list. And the fact that these coun- 
tries take up practically all that we produce 
every year, and that the result has been 
attained without any special efforts, such as 
have been ^ound necessary in the case of Tea, 
is evidence thiit the supply is not outstrip- 
ping the demand, and that the Palm holds 
what may be called a steady market. Our 
remark applies, not only to the older products, 
such as Oil and Poonac, in which business has 
been done with the outside world for gene- 
rations, but also to more recent exports like 
Copra and Coconuts in the shell, and to the 
entirely new industry of Desiccated Coconut 
which already finds its way direct to twelve 
countries, most of which are, probably, centres 
of distribution. The time that the palm takes 
to bear, has, doubtless, been its chief safe- 
guard against the rush which quick returns 
Erovoke in the case of both Tea and Coffee, 
oth of which of late, have had to 
contend with the protilem of over-production, 
and the inability of the markets of the world 
to take up all that was being hurried into 
them. 
But to deal with distribution, the United 
Kingdom was our largest customer for Oil- 
having taken 257,655 cwt., or nearly three- 
fifths of the output of last year. In the 
previous year it took only one-half, though 
then too, it was the largest buyer, America 
coming next with more than one fourth to 
its credit. But last year America took little 
more than one-half of the previous year's 
purchases, or one-seventh of the total exports, 
and was distanced by India, which claimed 
88,148 cwt. In 1898, however, India stood 
at the top of the list, having taken lkS,687 
cwt., against 123,316 cwt, by the mother coun- 
try ; while Singapore which has dropped 
off to 6,052 cwt. in the latest returns, stood 
third with 91,893 cwt.! What is the expla- 
nation of these violent oscillations ? The 
demands of the United Kingdom and America 
where the Oil is chiefly used for soap-making 
and candles, are believed to be regulated by 
the abundance or scarcity of animal fat 
and the imports of African palm oil ; 
but in India and the Far East the Oil is 
largely wanted for food and lighting ; and 
it is a puzzle how they can do with so little 
one year, when so much can be taken off 
another year. Nor do we find, on the as- 
sumption that the Oil taken by Singapore 
is intended for the American market, any 
corre-spondence in the exports to the two 
eouii tries. ' ' 
Kir— 
In Copra, Russia stands facile princeps, 
having taken 99,620 cwt. out of 362,467 cwt., 
Belgium coming next with 77,988 cwt. and 
Germany third with 65,599 cwt. In 1899, too, 
she stood (more easily) first with nearly 
10.5,000 cwt., against 76,634 cwt for Belgium ; 
while in l898, the year of our largest export, 
Russia had no less' than 143,688 cwt. to her 
credit, out of 506.000 cwt. The mother 
country continues our best customer for 
Desiccated Coconut, having taken nearly 
nine million lb. out of 13i millionlb. exported; 
but in 1899 she nad nearly 9^ million lb. out 
of a smaller output. America is the next 
best with 1,829,2801b., followed by Germany 
with 1,149,471 lb. The other countries which 
take large quantities are Australia, Belgium, 
Austria, France, Holland, Africa and China ; 
so that, if only quality keeps up, there is 
no reason why there should not be that 
steady growth of the trade which we 
anticipate. Our Poonac is not sought by many 
countries ; but with Germany taking a little 
more than a half, and Belgium somewhat 
less than a half of the output, thei-e is not 
much left for other countries. The mother 
country stands first again for Coconuts ia 
the shell, having taken over ten million nuts 
out of less than 15 million sent away. Africa 
comes second with over 2J million, and India 
third with over a million ; and almost all tlie 
continental nations are among our customers 
for nuts Ceylon Coir, in its various forms 
of Rope, Yarn and Fibre, find their way to 
almost all the countries on the list— Singa- 
pore taking all but 1,000 cwt. of Rope, and 
the United Kingdom almost seven-eighths of 
the yarn, and more than one-half of the 
fibres. 
"RESTING" TEA AND MINOR 
PRODUCTS. 
A correspondent writes ; — 
" An idea has just occurred to me that, perhaps, 
the Hakffdla or Feradeniya people miglit be able 
to suggest a Product that we could grow between 
the hues of our tea, while the fields are resting : 
anythipg that would pay for die weeding of these 
fields would be a help ; pine apples grow well 
where the climate is hot and forcing, and pine 
fibre might be of use if machines could be intro- 
duced at little cost for its preparation ?" 
A good authority replies on the above ; — 
"I am afraid I cannot recommend anything to 
grow among tea that is likely to pay, as I think 
the tea pUnts require all the ground allotted to 
them. The roots of the tea would not allow 
anything el<e to have a chance. Where the tea is 
widely planted and in good soil, the ' ground 
nul,' pine-apples and tomatoes may struggle 
along; but I don't think they would pay, as the 
tea bushes would soon smother them. I under- 
stand the resting of the tea to mean that it should 
be allowed to run for three years and then to be 
pruned down and .start afresh in general culti- 
vation. In this case if the ground is in fair heart 
- the tea would grow so quickly tha*; few weeds 
would grow affd very little weeding •would be 
required," 
