THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16564, 30 May 1914, Page 16

THE SOLOMON ISLANDS.

(Continued.) (By GEO. L. TACON.) IV. COCONUT BUTTER—A GROWING RIVAL TO COW BUTTER. As briefly stated in a preceding article, tho rapid growth during the past eight years in tho demand for copra is entirely duo to modern discoveries in methods of refining, whereby tho whole of the free, fatty acids are eliminated. The refined product is found to be superior for some purposes to that prepared from animal fats, which in several directions it is displacing. These discoveries by chemists and bacteriologists have created a trade for the product of the coconut, which is developing all over tho civilised world at an enormous rate; and which promises to continue to expand so rapidly that the demand may outstrip all available supplies. The growth in the demand for cocoanut fat has been phenomenal; the value of imports of copra and coconut oil into Europe alono is shown by Government returns to have more than doubled during tho past five years, and to have increased by several millions sterling per annum. Not only Europe, but America and Asia are becoming large consumers. The refined oil, or fat, pure is used as a substitute for lard and butter; blended with sterilised fresh milk, it is used in place of butter prepared from milk fats. Its cost is half that of the articles it is supplanting, and manufacturers of coconut products claim, and apparently with strong evidence to support them, that the coconut product is the superior article. The increasing demand for coconut fat or butter may be said to be duo to its introduction,,; for edible purposes through tho discovery of its valuable dietetic and body-building properties, and comparative freedom from, microbe contamination; its superior advantages in point of keeping qualities; its palatablcness over animal rats, and chiefly perhaps to its low cost and retail price as compared with tho increasingly expensive cream-butter. Among the additional interesting features which may bo mentioned regarding nut-butter as compared with thoso of animal fat, is tho fact that the former can be sterilised, whilst animal fats of any nature cannot be sterilised, being always liable to putrefaction. Tho great advantage of cocoanut oil over other vegetable oils is that it solidifies into fat on reaching the temperate zone, whereas most other vegetable oils remain liquid. Although all substitutes for butter are compelled to be sold as margarine, there is a wide difference between tho article manufactured from purified and deodorised coconut fat and that mado from animal fat. The law, by refusing to recognise this, operates unfairly against the nut-butter manufacturer and the consuming public. The original French product was made almost wholly from best beef suet. In 18S5 it was calculated that 150,000 head of cattle would yield only 3000 tons of " butterine" by tho original Mege-Monries process. The lack of material led to the gradual abandonment of tho original method of production. "Various experiments wero mado, and many processes introduced; and subsequently, owing to the variety of makes containing desirable and undesirablo mixtures both of vegetable and animal fats, and probably also all kind of greases, owing to this sort of stuff being often foisted upon the public under "tho name of butter, special legislation for tho protection .of tho consuming public became necessary, resulting in Great Britain passing in 1887 the Margarine Act." When this Act whs passed, what is now known as coconut margarine, or nut-butter, in its present perfected state was quite unknown. It did not exist. The so- ; called margarine prepared from purified coconut-fat within the short space of eight years, despite its abhorred name and its being classed by ignorant and educated people alike with animalfat margarine, has leaped into prominence, and is in growing-demand over the wholo civilised world.

The vendor who attempts to, cheat tho public by offering coconut butter as genuine cow butter should most certainly be punished. But the manufacturer of nut butter and his customers have a just right to call upon tho powers that govern to allow their pur© and wholesome food to be sold for what it is, and protected against the unfair competition of the animal fat-made article. Nut butter, which can pass a high test standard, should be, and soon undoubtedly will be, allowed to be offered for sale in Europe under some other name than margarine. If already our butter exporters in New Zealand and in Australia aro being warned against the growing strength in European markets of this butter substitute when the public is protected and coconut butter sold under its own name and impossible to be confounded with the tallow-fat article, then well may they fear the product of the coconut palm. The writing on the wall for the butter producer was never more clear. Tho coconut tree has beaten the cow. The dairy farmer has still cheese to make, and a return from it fully equal and infinitely more sure than that from butter. There is an over widening market for New Zealand cheese; and as yet no substitute has appeared in sight to contest its strong position in the world's markets. Tho dairy farmer has also a string to his bow iii fattening cattle; aud America will take all the beef that Now Zealand can send and for long enough. Rut as I see it, and I have endeavoured fairly closely to follow the course of this rapid economic change during the last four years, and in my humble opinion the export butter market is doomed. I know that my remarks, my statements and my opinion will be disputed bv many of the largo number of worthy and hard-working dairy farmers 0 f Jfew Zealand, and by others interested in the export business or in dairy lauds. That the knowledge, when it comes homo to them, will inivre for a while many deserving peoplo is a matter which I deplore; but 1 belie? 6 *' la * '* ' s "'ways wisest and best to faco hard facts, however an-

palatable, and the facts of the coconut butter and cow butter position in Europe to-day are indisputable, and 1 believe they will be found on carefnl examination to be as I have stated thom. Tho dairy farmer, knowing the facts, can adjust his case to meet the altering position. An article which, is equally palatable, equally wholesome, and equal in appearance, which is more uniformly and surely clean and pur*, and which, moreover, possesses ft provedly superior dietetic quality, an article which even butter experts have . failed to detect by appearance, taste • or smell from the best butter, this article when offered for sale under a legal distinguishing name at half the price of butter is bound, in my opinion, to oust butter completely from the market; price and quality will do the business. As I see it,_ the position is most clear. Butter is doomed; the coconut wins. SOAP AND CANDLES. The rapid growth of civilisation, and. the higher plane generally upon which nations live nowadays, have resulted in a greatly increased demand for soap and candles; and' when the remarkably increased output is considered (due to similar circumstances) of margarine and other edible manufactures, it ia not difficult to understand the fact that the world's demand for animal fats has grown out of all proportion to the supply. " The shortage is being filled by, vegetable fats. ■ It has been proved 1 that vegetable ' fats, and coconut fat in particular, are equal, and in somo respects su- j perior, to animal fats in soap making, , as has been shown to be the case in. . butter substitutes. This fact, taken in i conjunction with the increasingly re- ! stricted output, comparatively, of ani- ] mal fats, has assisted in tho rise in .' value of copra and other vegetable tree ; products. It can safely bo predioted ' that in the future civilisation will pro- t gress at even a greater rate; and that, , with its advance there will be a correspondingly increased demand for vegetable fats.

The oils or fats from ■which soap is made_ are known as " glycerid'es, or chemical compounds of fatty acids which contain glycerine. The oils or fats used in the manufacture of soap are very varied. New processes methods for dealing with various fat< aro constantly being invented. ThU fact, together with the close manner in which soapmakers guard their manufacturing processes and the class of fats they uso, makes it difficult to procure information as to tho ingredients of soap now being manufactured; bufc it may bo taken as fact that more and more vegetable oils or fats are being substituted for animal fats when they aro obtainable at prices which are not prohibitive. In the preparation of marino soap coconut oil is essential, coconut oil, blended with animal fats, makes a soap lather more freely. I have been informed, on what I have every reason to believe to be the best authority, that Messrs Lever Bros anticipate using for their own soap works in various parts of the world the whole of tho copra which their vast estates in the Pacific will produce. And even this hugo quantity will be insufficient for them, and they will have to buy outside. In the Solomon Islands alone they own about 300,000 acres of the best of coconut growing land; and when this is brought into cultivation, and the energy of the firm and unlimited amount of capital at its command ensures that fact, allowing for a low average of half a ton per acre, Messrs Lever Bros, will be using'lso,ooo tons of copra, of a market value at present prices of somewhere about £4.000,000 per annum in their own works from the Solomon Islands, they have other large coconut estates in the Pacific out side this group. So that a largo amount of coconut oil will apparently be required for soap making. Candles' are made from a variety ol fats, and vegetable fats, and especiaHj coconut fat, is being more and mow largely used in their manufacture. (To bo continued.)