Skpt. }, 1903.] 
Supplement to -the ^'Tropical AgncitUan'st' 
221 
nnd nmount of actual Tiutriments sujiplied niid tlieir 
fitness to meet the demands of the body. The most 
economical food is that whicli is cheape.st and also 
best adapted to the needs of the user. By making 
a comparison in the way sugge.<ted, it is found 
that fresh vegetables are the dearest sources of 
protein, meats and fish somewhat cheaper, and 
cereals clieapest of all. As to sources of ene-gy 
such foods as oysters and lobsters are the costliest, 
followed by some of the green vegetables and fruits, 
tiien the mnjoriiy of meats, next potatoes, atid 
cheapest of all the cereals. 
The market price of food materials is clearly not 
regulated by their actual value for nutriment. The 
agreeableness of food to the palate or the fancy has 
often much '.o do with jirice. But animal foods 
such as meat, fish, milk and the like not only 
gratify the palate more than most vegetables do, 
but supply .III actual need by providing protein and 
fats in which vegetable foods, except cereals and 
legumes are lacking, and are more easily digested 
ns regards protein. There is thus ground for pay- 
ing somewhat more for the same total amount of 
nutritive material in animal food. Foods already 
prepared for use are as a rule more expensive 
than the unprepared materials which supply as 
much nutriment. This, however, iifford a pleasing 
variety, and if not too costly the difference may be 
considered to be set off by the convenience of pre- 
paration, the palatability and pleasing variety 
they give. But often inordinate prices are charged 
and purchasers do not sufficiently realize how ex- 
pensive are these foods for which properties are 
claimed that are not proved to satisfaction to 
belong to ihem, 
Scientific research interpreting the observations 
of practical life, ir.dicates that a four-fold mis- 
take is made m food economy. First, the costlier 
kinds of food are used when the less expensive are 
just as nutritious and may be made nearly or quite 
as pnlatable. Secondly, the diet is apt to be one- 
sided in that foods are used which furnish rela- 
tively too much of the great ingredients and too 
much of the flnsh-formiug materials. Thirdly, 
excessive quantities of food are used, part of the 
excess which is consumed and is detrimental to 
health, and part thrown away as unconsumed 
waste. Finally, serious errors in cooking are 
committed. For the wealthy, the worst injury is to 
health, foi the poor there is the additional injury 
to their jnirse. It is surprising, when the matter 
is examined carefully, to find how much people 
with limited incomes lose in this way. 
{To be continued.) 
— ' ^ 
COCONUTS IN ZANZIBAE. 
We cull the following from the Annual Keport 
of the Agiicultural Department for 1902. The 
average yield of uuts per tree per annum for 
four years from three plantations was, respectively, 
34-7 ; 25-9 : and 17-o. Prices ranged in 1902 
from Es. 20 to Es. 30, and averaged Es. 24 on the 
spot. The net returns, from all sources, from coco- 
nuts amounted in 1912 toEs. 4,626-4-3, aud we are 
now beginning to reap the benefits of cultivation 
and cnraful management. We make the uuts into 
copra, as in Pemba it is impossible to keep in 
touch with market variations. 
Gathering in Zanzibar cost 11", 1-12-7 per 1000. 
To this must be added certain perquisites,' nam'ely, 
to overseei's 30 iiuts for every 1000 gathered, to 
each nokoa 100 per gathering, equal to 400 a year, 
and simil irly makadama or second headmen 
receive 50 each, wangojezi or caretakers 2-5 each. 
Tlie total number of nuts so distributed cotces to 
about 30,000 a year, the value of which is equiva- 
lent to ail- additional cost in the gathering of 
Es. 1 per 1000 ; bringing the total cost to about 
Es, 2| per 1000. Instead of gathering with men 
at regular monthly wages we pay according to the 
work done, at the rate of 5 picc for every hundred 
nuts carried to the heap, and 1 pice for every tree 
climbed. 
We have about 30,000 nuts set for seed, to be 
placed out this season. We shall con'tiuue to set 
seed nuts frcm time to time — at every gatheriivg, 
so that we may have a continual supply of seed- 
lings coming on. It will take some year.s to^pla'nt 
up all the available ground. ' ' 
Owing to representations that had been made of 
the b '.u condition of Copra coming into the murTiet 
from Zanzibar and Pemba, merchants in the town 
were invited to discuss the question of improve- 
ment in the condition of Copra, at a meeting held 
on May 7th. Zanzibar Copra fetches in London 
about £2 a ton less than the clean white sundried 
copra that comes from Cochin arid Malabar, ta 
consequence of its being only half dried it goes 
black. Nevertheless there was some doubt at the 
meeting whether much CO lid be done to improve 
it by regulations. Regi'latious, it was poiiited 
out, had been tried before aud had had the effect 
of checking the pioduction. ^Zanzibar Copra. Is 
rich in oil and ranks in London at about five 
shillings a ton over ordinary fair merchantable 
Straits or Singapore, The bulk of it goes to Mar- 
seilles, where in that market it commands the 
highest price. . ' ' ' ' • 
Before meeting the European merchants I had 
ascertained from'the natives their view of the 
matter, and the reasons why they did not dry their 
copra properlj'. The Copra trade i-i, in t lie first 
place, in the hands of small rative manufactuterSi 
who buy nuts iu small quantities, and sell the 
copra to Indians who trade in the outskirts of tihe 
town and the main thoroiighfares, and who again 
sell to the European merchants. Natives state 
that it pays them better to only half dry their 
copra: the small additional price obtained for 
well-dried not being sufficient to compensate them 
for loss of weight incurred. 1 pointed out to the 
masheha the importance to the trade of the island 
of the people taking more care with their copra, 
aud I sent inspectors to visit the principal cen- 
tres and prevent as far as possible green copra 
from being seat for sale,; but though something 
cau be done in this way, and 1 think has been done, 
it is Obvious that no permanent; improvement 
cau take place in the condition of Zanzibar 
Copra so loug as the native can find a market, 
and a profitable market, for it as it is. 
GEXEEAL ITEMS. 
It is not generally known how- leeches re- 
produce their species, We take over the fol- 
