770 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
[May 1. 1899. 
COCONUT OIL FOR THE AMERICAN 
MARKPyr: 
A NEW RIVAL TO CEYLOlS' AND 
COCHIN OIL— IN CUBAN OIL? 
The latest New York "Oil Market Review" 
has ail article on the probaliility of Cuba 
supplying the United States, among other 
things, with a sufficiency of coconut <.»il to 
render the counti'y independent of shipments 
from the East Indies. It is acknowledged 
that some time must elapse before the ship- 
ments irom Cuba are regular or important. 
This is how the New York paper looks at 
the matter : — 
During the early part of 1898 the Khipments from 
varioua Cuban porta to New Yoik ware Braall, but 
with the close of war operations with Spain, or since 
November last, they have been on ihe increase. 
While it is true the shipments all told look insignifi- 
cant, they being only about ^50 tons, still they are 
sufficient to cause the trade to »Bk themselves what is 
to be the future of this new enterprise, and how 
it will affect the conditions of a trade which has here- 
tofore been supplied from Ceylon and Cochin. While 
it is true the lots of Uuban oil which have come to 
band have been of poor quality and by some in the 
trade considered only as a '' poor specimen of nxlo 
grease," still large Western soapmakers considered it 
good enough and of sufficient importance to recently 
clean up the market of the stock on hand at a price 
equal to about 5 cents per pound. 
One reason why the Cuban shipments have been 
curtailed lias been not only the cost of producing 
the oil, but the poor shipping facilities existing there. 
But with the islands under our control new lines 
of transportation, b( th by water and land, will ba 
e ,tabli.''hed, and it will not be long before the Western 
Boapmaker will be able to purchase his supplies de- 
livered on a through bill of lading at his woiks. 
Dust as his neighbor, acorn oil minufaoturer ia 
enabled to sell his product delivereil in Germany 
or England, cheaper than he can deliver a catload 
to a oonsumer on the seaboard. This is also true 
today of cocoanut oil, either brought by steamers 
direct from the coast or via England. The future 
development of this new enterprise will be watched 
with interest not only by the consumers of coconut 
oils, but by those in other lines of trade, who have 
be3n contemplating a similar step in their various 
interests with the recently acquired possessions iu 
both the East and Cuba, and its adjacent islands. 
Since writing the above there have been sales of 
603 tons Cuban oil for March — May delivery at 
5J centa. With the adjustment of affairs in the 
Pnilippiiies that country will also become an im- 
portant factor, as the quality of the oil produced there 
is much superior to the Cuban. Already negotiations 
are pending with San Francisco parties for lound 
lots for forward delivery at that port for distribution 
in this country. 
Then, again, Florida is likely to come to the 
front as a producer of coconuts ratiier t!ian 
oranges; tor, we read: — 
While on a recent trip down the east coast of Florida 
we were impressed by the lai-ge quantities of coconut 
trees, loaded with fruit, and the question naturally 
arose why have not these nuts bseu utilized. When 
one who was familar with the situation was a?ked the 
question, he at once wanted to know ''our occupation." 
When however, we gave him an "Irishman's answer," 
and at once began to display such an amount of ignor- 
anc3 about the uses of coconut oil as to really surprise 
ourselves, we soon found out that steps had already 
been taken to ascertain the cost of a plant for the 
prodnotiou of coconut oil, and the prospsctive demand 
for this grade of oil. At the same time a large dele- 
gation of Ohio merchants stopped off at this point in 
Florida on their way to Cuba to spy out the land and 
pe^ what the pros^iggt^ yyere igv locating faotorieg 
other busineBS enterprises iu our newly acijuired poe- 
ses&iona. Among them were two genllVnieu who were 
g'jiug to look into the matter of making coconut oil. 
it having been of eufljcient importance to attract tba 
attention of Western coosuniera. While we admit 
the manufacture of this article is in its infaucy aud 
it may be several years yet before it will be 8»tis- 
factorlly produced, yet with the Isrt-e available capital 
seeking iuvestraent by either Weeteri) or £a.«terB 
capitdi'its, and the improvements which are being 
made in machinery and the opening up of tb««e 
i.slmids to travel and commence it is only a question 
of time when this article will bean important factjr 
in the Eoaptrade of this country. 
The ;,'ieat comfort to (lie coconut iilaiiler is that 
he lias so ininy markets lo look to— and so 
many dilFerent products available ia his nuts. 
Tflli I'lTAKANDE TEA C(>. OF CEYLON, 
LIMITED. 
Thk RKroKT. 
Directors :- Mesi»rs. Joseph Fraser, (Ch&irrjan), 
Edward C. Mitchell and Robert Morisoii. 
Solicitor.s to the Company: — Messrs. F. J. <Jr K. 
F. Do. Sarain. 
Ac HE AGE : 
Tea in full bearing . . &00 acres 
Tea in partial bearing . . 26U „ 
Tea not in bearing .. 210 ,, 
l,00n acres 
Cardamoms in bearing. . 44 
Cocoa iu bearing .. loo ,, 
Fuel Trees . . . . 40 " 
Forest .. .. 20 '' 
Grass Laud . . . . 2fJ7 ' 
Waste Lind, Buildings, (to. 30 ,', 
Total area . . 1,441 „ 
The Directors beg to submit their Report for the 
year ended 31st December, IsyS. 
The total crop of tea secured was 409,953 lb at a 
cost of cts 26-4149 per lb or cts 21-20 per lb' f.o.b. when 
allowance is made for luanare in stock charged against 
189S. 
An interim dividend of nine per cent on the capital 
of the (Jompmy, viz., E2S0,O0a as it stood in 
September, 1893, has already been paid, and taking 
the unsold 53,270 lb tea at the estimated value of 
34 ci^s. per lb there remains a further balance of 
B7,440 U5, of which it is now proposed to carry 
ET.O'IO to the Reserve Fuud, ranking this account 
E27,000 at the end of December, 1S98, and to carry 
forward ta next year's accounts tlie balance R440 05. 
It will be seen from the accounts that the ex- 
penditure of 1898 includes an invoice of manure 
amounting to Ri ,897 87, which manure will be applied 
in 1899. It has further to be mentioned that, iu the 
year under review, the expenditure on 260 acres of 
young tea, and the manuring of 110 acres of similar 
tea which has as yet given little return, have been 
included in the current expenditure. During the 
year, 9,9.")3 lb. Tea over the estimated quantity were 
secured, and cocoa and cardamoms came fully ur to 
expectations. The 500 acres of tea in full bearing 
gave 676 lb made tea per acre in spite of very adverse 
circumstances during the latter half of the yea'- 
In Ootobsr. 1898, the capital of the Company was 
increased by 50 shares of B500 each to rank for 
dividend on the working of the properties from 1st 
January, 1899, the whole of which were taken up 
by ih3 present shareholders. In February, 1898 
the Dii-ectors appointed Messrs. Buchanan & Co. a 
Agents and Secretaries of the Company. In terms 
of the Irfciclea of Association, Mr. Edward C 
Mitchell retires from the Board of Directors but 
being eligible offers himself for re-election. 'The 
appointmant of an Auditor for the current year rests 
\Vith tli9 Meeting. By order of the Directors. 
Buchanan ^ Q}., ageijjs ^ secretaries, 
