Dec. I, 1897.] 
THE TROPICAL 
COCHIN vs. CEYLON COCONUT OIL. 
The following are the questions embodied in 
our circular : 
1. Have you ever considered the reasons for 
Cochin O'l selling for 30 to 36 per cent more than 
Ceylon Coconut Oil '? 
2. What is your opinion after having read the 
article in Ceylcn Observer, 30th October ? (See page 381 
of this issue.) 
3. Do you think it possible in your District to 
give the same attention to palms and kernels as is 
given by the Cochinese according to the description 
under notice ? 
4. Ariy objections or difficulties in your district ? 
5. In what Districts of Ceylon would you think the 
best results could be obtained ? 
6. Would you recommend a Ceylon Superinten- 
dent being sent to Cochin to note what is done there 
from beginning to end ; the nature of the soil, cul- 
tivation of palm, etc. ? 
7. Or, would you recommend getting two or 
three Cochin natives accustomed in copra and oil- 
making to lead on local plantations ? 
8. Do you know of any Ceylon estate or district 
whose copra or oil is always superior to ordinary 
Ceylon oil, and approximates to Cochin ? 
9. Any other observations ? 
The following have been received from well- 
knovvn planting authorities : — 
(Answers.) 
No. III. 
1. Yes ; and if you will look up the T.A.ior 189.5 
or 1896 you will find that this question was dis- 
cussed in the Observer and opinions elicited. 
2. My opinion is that the great difference is al- 
most, if not entirely, due to the large amount of 
stearine in the Ccchi'n oil. 
3. Quite. Although there is not the same long spell 
of dry weather ; yet copra dried over coconut shell 
fires can be cured quite as white as surr dried. 
4. None except the more frequent rains prevent- 
ing copra being sun dried. 
5. In Jaffna, Kalpentyn, Batticaloa, and Chilaw. 
I am sure that copra quite as fine as any Cochin 
article can be, and is prepared in these districts. 
6. Perhaps it would be advisable, There may be 
something done there of which we are ignorant, though 
I doubt it ! 
7. No ; by no means. 
8. Answered iii No. 5. 
9. I am afraid that the difference is due to climate 
and soil and perhaps, to some extent, to keeping the 
nuts for so many months before converting them 
into copra. Is there no reliable person in Cochin 
from whom information might be got? W. J. 
No. IV. Oct. 5. 
1. The difference in price of Cochin and Ceylon 
coconut oil attracted my attention many years ago. 
The experts in the trade whom I consulted, referred 
the difference, partly to Cochin oil being richer 
in stearine, partly to speculation and combination 
among owners. 
2. My opinion, confirmed by the Observer article 
of 30th October, is that a third explanation is to be 
found in the fact that most of our copra is smoke 
dried, much of it positively black, yielding oil which 
cannot b.e filtered white. 
3. Not the same, perhaps, to kernels, because of 
the greater humidity of the air and the greater rain 
fall ; but more attention than now. To palms 
the same attention can be paid as in the most favoured 
countries. 
4. The special difficulty in the way of sun dry- 
ing in this district is the absence of the sun for a 
good part of the year. Half the number of days 
in the year is wet or drizzly, and the sun is often 
obscured by clouds; but smoke drying is resorted 
to too readily. 
5. In Jafl'na, Batticaloa, Manaar, Calpentyn, and 
Puttalam. If the copra from these districts should 
sell distinctly better, not only because it is better 
(tried through its long journey but because it is 
51 
AGRICULTURIST. 411 
sun dried, other districts would re.sort to open air 
drying whenever possible. 
6. It wmuld be an advantage, but it is not abso- 
lutely necessary. Cultivation is understood here and 
is being practised with good results — larger crops 
and thicker kernels. 
7. That, too, may be desirable, but is not es- 
sential. (. opra drying is a simple process and every 
one knows that well dried copra is more valuable 
than damp, and clean is preferred to dirty. There 
should Le an incentive to greater resort to the 
sun than to fire. 
8. The copra of Jaffna, Batticaloa, Puttalam and 
Calpentyn is generally superior to that of other dis- 
tricts because it is cleaner and better dried, and it 
fetches better prices, because it contains less mois- 
ture. The oil of one district cannot be compared 
with that of another, as there are no district mil's 
and district oils. 
9. For the above reasons I do not agree that it 
is merely a planters’ question. If the mill-owner 
offers more for sundried copra than for smoke-dried, in 
order to prepare white oil as a speciality, there will 
be inducement for planters to avoid smoke or steam 
drying, except as a last resort. F. B. 
No. V. Nov. 4. 
I have not had any nractical experience in coconut 
oil manufacture — so cannot reply to questions 1 — 7. 
As regards (8) I can only repeat what I heard from 
Mr. O’Grady of Karativoe estate, who told me he 
took home some of his (chekku-mill oil) and sub- 
mitted it to some large dealers in London, who after 
examination assured him that it was far superior 
to ordinary Ceylon oil, and I think he said equal 
to Cochin; but that to secure a proper price it should 
come into the London market under some different 
designation than “ Ceylon” oil. 
On another occasion I know Mr. O’Grady made 
some very superior Copra for a local Chotty, who 
sent it to Calcutta (to be used he said for sweet- 
meats), but it took a lot of trouble and additional 
expense and did not pay. 
So these facts show it is in the long dry season 
which prevails on the Eastern side of the that there 
island could be prepared a superior class of copra and 
oil. 
Mr. O’Grady would give fuller particulars doubt- 
less if asked. 
I may also mention that in the Batticaloa estates, 
the nuts are left (I think for a month) in the (coir) 
husk before being split — which is done with an axe 
without removing the husk. 
E. ELLIOTT. 
No. VI. 
1. For the reason that no endeavour is made in 
Ceylon to export white oil. I saw a sample of white 
oil in Colombo some time ago, which if exported, 
should approximate, if not equal. Cochin oil. 
2. Except as regards any superiority due to climate 
conditions, there is no reason why Ceylon oil should 
not he as good as Cochin. 
3. The attention given to palms on my estate is 
quite equal to that in the description you notice. 
In the treatment of kernels too, I do not see any 
difference between our methods and those adopted 
in Cochin except as regards the use of mats. 
4. I believe there is not so much uniform sunshine 
here as in Cochin, hence we are obliged to have more 
recourse to fire. In drying by fire there is now no 
means of excluding the smoke, which accounts for the 
bad colour. If the smoke could be excluded by the 
introduction of some kind of Sirocco, I think much 
of our difficulties may be overcome. 
5. Kalpitiya, Puttalam, Rajakadaluwa and Chilaw 
should do well. I believe Jaffna and Batticaloa would 
a'so do, although I have no acquaintance with 
them. 
6. & 7. I do not see any necessity of adopting 
either of the suggestions. Given good weather and 
good nuts there is no difficulty in making white 
