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172 
eight-year old plants which came into bearing in their fifth year. 
Records of individual yields have been kept for the past three years 
and these compare favourably with yields obtained in Africa, the 
home of the industry. It is stated that full grown trees in the 
Western Province of Southern Nigeria yield from two to twelve 
bunches of nuts annually ; an average sized bunch contains at least 
200 nuts and the weight of the latter varies from 7 to 21 lbs. The 
pulp of palm fruits contain about 60 per cent, of palm oil while the 
kernels yield, approximately, 48 per cent, of palm kernel oil. 
The oil palm is propagated from seed. The nursery beds 
should be raised, made of fairly rich humus soil and near a water 
course if possible, to ensure the proper humidity of the soil. The 
seed may be planted about 18 inches apart each way at a depth of 
from 1 to 1| inches. The beds require to be artificially shaded 
and in dry weather regularly watered. When the seedlings are 
1 foot high they may he transplanted into their permanent quarters 
which may be from 20 to 25 feet apart. Holing similar to 
that of rubber planting is greatly beneficial and tillage around 
the palm essential, if heavy crops are to be obtained. The .palms 
require to be kept entirely free from other plant growth which is 
frequently found, particularly on the older uncultivated plants. 
In West Africa the oil palm trade is handicapped by transport 
difficulties and lack of machinery. The industry is, more or less, in 
the hands of natives and as long as it remains so it is unlikely that 
there will be any rapid advancement. It has to be considered, 
financially, how a well managed property in Malaya with good 
transport facilities and modern machinery would compare with the 
somewhat primitive methods of West Africa. It might be mentioned 
that the world’s demand for this oil is very large. 
Fibres. 
A sample of fibre, wljich would appear to be Fwrcrma sp., grown 
at the Kuala Lumpur Experimental Plantation and prepared by 
hand labour, here, was forwarded to the Imperial Institute, London, 
to bo examined and was reported on as follows : The length of 
staple varied from 2 feet 8 inches to 6 feet, with an average of 
4 feet 3 inches. The fibre was examined for tensile strength and 
elongation in comparison with a standard sample of sisal hemp and 
taking the East African sisal hemp as the standard, the ratios are as 
follows : 
Present- 
sample, 
Sisal hemp 
from East 
Africa. 
Breaking stress ... ... 56 ... 100 
Extension ... ... ... 225 ... 100 
The above figures indicate that the present sample has only 56 
per cent, of the strength of the East African sisal hemp but it is 2j 
times as extensible as the latter. The fibre was submitted to a firm 
