AGRICULTURAL BULLETIN 
OF fHE 
STRAITS • 
AND 
FEDERATED MALAY STATES. 
No. 2.] FEBRUARY, 1907. [Vol. VI. 
THE OIL-PALM, 
With Plate. 
The African Oil-palm is an abundant plant almost all over tropi- 
cal Africa and has thence been distributed all over the world, 
and grows and thrives in all parts of the tropics. It is very 
common in cultivation in Singapore as an ornamental plant, as, 
it grows very readily and well and fruits regularly. Its fruits 
produce the oil known as Palm-oil, which^is exported extensively 
from Africa, but of which no use is made in Eastern Asia. There 
is no reason for its not being cultivated for profit as it gives a 
good return in Africa at little expense, and Dr. PREUSS, who 
knows the plant well in the German African Colonies where it is 
an important article of trade was surprised on seeing how well and 
quickly this plant grew in Singapore, that it -was not cultivated 
for profit, as he affirmed it was a mpre va-lnable palm than even 
the coconut. 
An attempt to introduce the cultivation into Labuan was made 
by Dr. (now Sir) JOSEPH Hooker in 1876. Mr. TREACHER was 
then Governor of Labuan, and took much interest in the idea. 
The island of Daat was selected as a suitable locality and seed was 
sent from which 700 plants were raised which throve, well and 
fruited, but ten years later were removed to make room for coconuts. 
(Kew Bulletin 1889, p.259). 
The plant has long been cultivated in Singapore. It was in the 
Botanic Gardens in 1895, and is to be seen in almost all private 
grounds. 
In Central and Western Africa it is one of the most important 
economic plants and as Dr. PREUSS says it is the only plant in the 
world which can with the least possible care, and without diminu- 
tion of crop furnish a rich harvest for many decades. 
The annual export of Palm-oil and kernels from Africa is valued 
at 50 million marks. 
