The Coir Industry.

Samoanische Zeitung, Volume 13, Issue 29, 19 July 1913, Page 10

The Coir Industry.

By M. M. Salkkby, Fiber Expert

(Conclusion.)

One of the best coir machines ia that built by Messrs. Larmouth A Co., Manchester, England, whioh the writer witnessed in operation dnring the Surabaya Fiber Exposition. This consisted of a series of machines run by one power and designed to handle the nber in its different stages of preparation, from crushing the partially soaked husks to the final processes of

wwrving coir mattings and mnking cordage. A brief description of this compound machine will servo to explain the gonoral priiwiplo in which till coir mnnhioes, more or less, axren. The different parts which compose this machine arc: 1. Crusher, which tnkes in onefourth part of a husk at n time nud loosens the (ihor from tho binding cellular tissue.

2. First scutch wheel, sg.iinst which are held, ouo at a time, the pieces of husk that have parsed through the crusher. The two halves of each piece of husk bi*» clennod Separately, each half being fed in two to four times.

:$. Second scutch wheel, which is provided with finer teeth than the pre ceding one and through which the pieces of husk that come out of the former should be similarly foil in for further cleaning. 4. First card, which is designed to clean and straighten the fiber turned out by the second scutch wheel. 5. After carding, the fiber pushes through a cleaning machine consisting of a revolving drum which shakos off all dust and other impurities. 6. A second card is again used, through which tho fiber is made finer and becomes ready for its final treatment.

7. Spinning and weaving and other machinery, which are used to make from the cleaned fiber the articles it is intended for

Yield and valw.—The yield of coir depends upon the variety of nuts pro* duced, tht> fertility of the soil, and the stage of ripeness at which the nuts are picked. According to Robin* son, the proximity of the trees to the sea-coast also affects the yield of coir. These are, in all probability, responsible for the several widely divergent estimates given by several writers. Another cause that may have led to the difference in the estimates of the yield of coir is tho method of computing the yield from few nuts and making that the basis upon which to calculate the produce of a certain number of trees or a certain area planted with them, which method has been lately disapproved as being impracticable and often inaccurate. . Basing my figures upon the most conservative estimates, it may be safe to Btate that every thousand nuts will produce on an average 65 kilos of yarn and 10 kilos of brush fiber. At this estimate a hectare of land containing 110 trees and producing an average of 50 nuts a tree per year will produce about 385 kilos of yarn and 55 kilos of brush fiber, valued at approximately Peso 60, which is practically 20 per cent of the value of the copra crop produced from the same number of trees. To give a general idea of the prices paid for coir at the present time, I quote below an extract from the monthly circular of Messrs. Idea & Chrißtie, dated London February 15, 1912. The prices are estimated per ton, and are roughly reduced to Philippine currency: Coir Yarn.

Detoriptum of the Mer.—Dvdge described the fiber ae follow* i Coir fiber appear* « «■•»« form °. £ Urge, stiff, and very elastic filaments, each individual of which is round, smooth, very clean, resembling horsehair. It possesses a remarkable tenacity and curia easily. Its «alor is a Hiwwr- brown. These filaments sftraartra syri Mortar, are wtth difficulty separated by the Seedless for microscopic examination.

The nullviiiii.il H)x>n» aro nhoi t and stiff, ln .°' r . w*M» very thick, notwithstanding which tiiiK thickum* decs not eqnsl tho slse of tho interior cunsl. Tho mirta-M) doeo not appnar smootli ; if in often sinuous and th«« profile apiMiant di-ntaled. Tho diameter U not vojy reunlnr. Tho |K>intH terminate suddenly nod aro not sharp. Tho walls ap|H>nr liiokeu in plain** „, j{ , hov wor4 . pierced with fibers, corraspondini' with the fissures «f tin- Motions,

A comparative test of the strength and elasticity of a coir rope as compared with those made from Hibiscus rannakinns and Sanserieria tei/fanica showed, According to Doctor Wrighi, that, the first broke under a strain of 224 pounds. ClO3 kilos), the second under 100 pounds (87.4 kilos), and the third under 816 pounds 1,113 3 kilos). Other tests made at the office of the Marine Board of Calcutta with most of the cordage fibers of commen'e showed that coir ranked No. 12 in strength and No. 1 in elasticity. This latter quality makes cijr parti' culary desirable in all cases where sudden strains anticipated such us for moorings for ships during rough weather and other similar objects. Conclusion.—By a careful review of the fncts mentioned in this paper and pert lining to the methods of prepari n tx coir and to its uses, value, and yield, it appears plainly that the only hope for establishing the coir industry here in th» Phillippines lies wholly in the introduction of suitable ma 1 chinnry desiguod, not only to separate the fiber from tho husks, but also to manufacture it into ihe various articles for which it is used. Even then, it can not with certainty be stated that natisfactory results will be assured, as sunh machines require a large outlay of capital and can only be operated profitably in large estates or in localities where the tieos aro grown in largo numbers sufficiently concentrated eo as to reduce to a minimum the expense of transporting the immense number of husks. Such localities are further limited when we consider the fact that the production of coir with, or without the use of machinery, is bound to conflict to a more or less serious extent, with the copia industry. This may come about in two ways : First, in many instances the husks are badly needed tor fuel used in drying the copra in the localities where there is no pronounced dry season ; and second, the production of good grades of coir affects the yield and quality of the copra crop, owing to the alleged belief that the state of ripeness of the nuts for the production of the best copra is obtained. The retting and hand methods used in the various countries where coir is produced arc so slow, tedious, and inadequate to the requirements of a successful industry, that it is useless to attempt to encourage their practice here. The use of small machines designed only to separate the fiber from the husk has not, as yet, come into general use. and the results of the various tests have not yet definitely decided their efficiency and practicability.

The discussion of the coir industry given in this paper i.« not intended to discourage any judicial attempts directed towards establishing this in' dustry here in the Philippines, but rather to point out the principal difficulties tiiat mnst be considered and overcome before any such attempt can come to any satisfactory realiza* tion. In making such an attempt, or for further information on any phase of the industry, the Bureau of Agriculture will gladly g ive & M the help and advice that lie within its scope of action.—" The Philippine Agricultural Review."

" Lube." (By F T. Gtokdickb.^ The strango disappearance of twelve gold rings out of the showcase of Bob Sayram's store, at Kolovai, presented a mystery so inexplicable, and a solution so remarkable, that it was justified to call the disappearance •« rem»rkable." It was in the firs* week of the month of November, that Bob's manager had come to Kolovai for the usual stocktaking, »° d amonst the goods listed were twelve gold rings, strong on a turtlesbell hairpin, and deposited in the showcase on the counter of the store.

Oiu- <mi imagine Bob's utt- r anmr. inent when, a few days later, he hid occasion to go tnthrt anowfiiso and found that thn rings hnd disappeared. Hnvram at once informed thn Mayor of the town, aa «r«»ll as the' Minister of Polic.\ ulx.nt the theft, and th»y all tried their beet--Tonga ftmhion— to investigate, hut without suocess.

t-Wernl montha had passed sine* the mysterious disappearance of iho rings; night was falling, the blue miat swept in from the restless aea, and the hlih(linvH danced over the damn grass, when Lube came slowly up from the l>"Boh. H«r tall form waa clad in a • •heap cotton dree*, which, 8C irecly reaching to her ankles, showed the shape df her bare lege. The girl had Hung im old red shawl a Lout her shoulders, for it was cold, and the task of gathering n lurg* basketful of shellfish from the seashore was no easy one.

As ahe laboured on her way, dragging the unwieldy basket with its ■store of fool, and passing the trading station of Joe, the halfcaste, ahe caat frequent swift, almoat .terrified, glances on either aide, aa though suspecting the prerence of some unseon watcher. Once ahe could have sworn that someone called her by name, and she stopped accordingly to listen, but it waa the voice of deadly fear al* ways calling within her heart. Then again, where the road touched the h»m of the Catholic Convent com* pound, the girl seemed to see a man's dark leaning face watching her —the face of the man she loathed u.ore than anything in life. Joe Percil, the halfcaste, the man who had long cast eyes of love upon her, and had sworn that he would make her his wife, despite her splendid scorn. Her open hostility towards him but spurred his evil desires to an even greater height, und he had marked her for his prey. For Lube was a simple Tongan maid, of unknown parentage, living with an old Tongan widow; she was beautiful, and to look upon her was to love her. Natives and Europeans had loved her and desired her, but Lube had remained untouched, until young Bob Sayram had made his appearance in the village. Sayram was an exceptional young man for a trader, but with an already distinguished record of honesty and good looks amongst the natives of Tongatabu. And then Joe, the brute beast, had coiue. In vain she fled from his presence, as from some noisome reptile, he tracked her unerringly. Often he would walk beside her for miles when going into Nukualofa, or on Sunday nights when she would go to the Bolotu into the next village, breathing hot words of love into her unwilling cars. Then she would lash him with her tongue, and he always would laugh mockingly at her helplessness, and vow that he would gain his end in time. Often be would overburden her with presents of jewellery, print, or silk handkerchiefs, still Lube closed her ears to his remarks, accompanying suoh presents. The darkness had now fallen as a cloak, bringing untold terrors to the girl. Unconsciously she ran the few remaining yards to her lonely hut, aud only stopped when she felt ber fingers close over the knob of the door. The contact infused fresh courage into her and it was the, for the first time, she realised that there was no light within. That waa strange. She could not remember any occasion upon which the lamp had not stood in its usual place, on the old camphorwood box. Lube hesi tated. Perhaps Moala was out. Moala Funaki was the name of the old Tongan woman, under whose protection the girl had lived all these years, but of late that sense of security had lessened steadily until now the word was merely a mockery. For Moala feared Joe, and would sacrifice Lube, without any oonpuootion, rather than disturb her own peace of mind. And to cross Joe spelt trouble. The girl stood still with her ears against the thatches, and listened intently. There waa no movement within, yet ahe hesitated. Then, almoat unconsciously, her trembling fingers pushed open the door, and she stumbled into the hut with a sob of relief. She closed the door behind her, •hot the' etiong bolt home to it* socket, and peered anxiously into the

dnrk. " Moala," "he whispered softly. " Mffkln, sro yon bare f" ' Wiere was tin nrntwer, hnr th* imrhWitive feeling that ' Jn» was much nearer than Hho ronlizi <l gr*«w fttrouger. It spuwd her on to action "htrromod over to where the old c#mphurwood liox «torxl, and lit the lamp. That done ahe unfastened her drees at the thmat, nnil let it fall about.' She loaned her chet-k 00 Iter hand and ftm-ii into, the light of the lamp. Gradually h*.r head aank lower, and ahe forgot Joe, forgot her fear, forgot her life, forgot everything—but bar lover. It was then that a figure moved stealthily ont from behindthe tnppa ecreen, and atood in the otroW of light. It was a man of dark ooav |.l«xtion and powerful pkyeiqanßjasai tlifl falling npon him, ahoiNHtatt evilly handaome faoe. He emfWft a«e»£ drew nearer the unatunpeeUag gbl, and finally laid hia hand heavily apon hor shoulder. Instantly, her body. grew rigid beneath hit held/bat otherwise ahe made no ttfpL She remained gazingdully before her with, unseeing eyee. She knew: what bed happened. Then slowly, ahe turned her head and looked at the man's band. There wna no mistaking those brown fingers with the disfiguring tatoomarka across the wrist;' " Lube." He called her by name. She never moved. His grip tightened. "Lube." "What do you want r* she whispered. " You," he ratnrtM thickly, then added with a laugh, and you know it too." Lube shuddered violently. She realized only too well that it meant a fight for her life, and for what was even dearer still to her—her honour. " Where is MoaU?" ahe asked quickly. Joe laughed boisterously, and removed hia hand from her shoulder. Instantly the girl leaped to her feet and faced him. " Where is ICpala ?" she repeated. " Moala?" began Joe, with another burst of laughter. Why she has gone off kava drinking in the village." Lube grew suddenly cold. "Do you mean that Moala went away deliberately, knowing yon were going to be hern alone with me?" Joe nodded. "That's it," he said. Lube looked at him full in the face. "Tonlie. I can't believe it—Moala woatd never have done such a thing willingly." " Don't be so sure of it," sneered Joe. " Moala is a sensible old woman, she's mighty afraid of me, and when f said, I want Lube, aha waa too wise to try and cross me. She just cleared without a word. What's more, she doesn't intend to come back to-night. Now what have you to say to that ?" (To be continued.)

Po. Liin. Po. Common to good Cochin roping dholls 85 140 Common to good Cochin roping bales 100 160 Common to fair Cochin weaving bales 180 220 Fair to good Cochin weaving bales 230 260 Good to extra Cochin weaving boles ... 270 320 Common to fair Ceylon dholls and ballots 160 190 Fair to good ballots and bales ... 210 230 <iood to extra Ceylon ballots ... 240 280 Coir fiber. Po. Po. Cochin, common ... 90 150 Cochin, fair 170 190 Cochin, good 200 220 Ceylon, short to fair 100 105 Ceylon, clean long ... 110 119 Coir rope. Po. Po. « 1 to 6 inch 130 180 2j to 3Jinch 130 200 Hto24inoh 130 200