AGRICULTURAL PRODUCE. 
Trade in Singapore for 1909 . 
We give below a reprint of the official returns of the trade in 
various agricultural products in the Colony for the past year. Of 
course the first striking feature is the immense increase of late years 
in the rubber industry; and the consequent demand for jungle rubbers. 
Willoughbeia, Jelutong, etc., as well. There was some fear that other 
products would be neglected in favour of a boom like that of rubber. 
1 his has not, however, been altogether the case. Gambler increased 
in Johore, but at the same time decreased in the Rhio and Lingga 
Archipelago, where rubber cultivation is rapidly spreading. Pepper 
again decreased a little in Johore, and everywhere else, except Dutch 
Borneo. These two products are sure to go down before rubber till 
at leas' the demand gets high and brings about an increase of price. 
Tapioca increased somewhat, but as Mr. Keun points out, with the 
increase of the rubber industry this is likely to decrease considerably. 
Tapioca is an important requisite in cloth manufacture, and a few 
years ago considerable alarm was excited among the English manu- 
facturers on account of the falling off of the supply, which threatened 
to interfere very seriously with the factories. 
Pineapples experienced a collapse in price last year and the early 
part of this owing to over-production. They are now steadying 
again. The diminution of this cultivation which appears to be very 
injurious to the soil is more a cause of satisfaction than of regret. 
It is satisfactory to see that the Copra industry is increasing. 
We have heard of some foolish planters who destroyed good coconut 
trees to make way for rubber, but on the whole the opening up of 
i ubbei estates may increase the Copra industry as many estates have 
portions of land suitable for coconuts and unsuitable for rubber, 
which in order to utilize them they put under coconuts. 
The whole report shows a steady progress in cultivation and 
trade in agricultural produce. — E d. 
Exports. 
Preserved Pineapples— Exports totalled 642,033 cases valued at 
$2,150,946 as against 717,216 cases valued at $2,654,152 in the preced- 
ing year, the decrease being 75,183 cases and $503,206 value, prices 
having experienced a heavy fall. Large decreases in exports appear 
in the first three quarters of the year but the fourth quarter showed 
improvement. The decrease could only be attributed to overstock in 
the United Kingdom and to the protective tariff in America which 
favoured Hawaiian pines. The export decreases to the United States 
of America amounted to 90,749 cases, to the Continent of Europe 
8,473 cases, and to the United Kingdom 5,412 cases, but exports to 
Hongkong, Canada and China showed increases. 
