Planting In New

Guinea

Market Rises Give Confidence to Copra Producers

From a Special Correspondent RABAUL, August 2.

A GENERAL feeling of hopefulness pre vails among the planting community in New Guinea, especially among the copra producers.

Planters have become more confident now that the market prices are firmer. Pro duction has increased and copra sheds are now filled to overflowing awaiting ship ments to European and Australian ports.

Great care is being taken to maintain N.G. copra at its usual standard thus securing the best possible price.

Leguminous cover plants are now almost universally employed throughout the planting areas with excellent results.

There has been a decided improvement in the appearance of the large scattered hold ings, especially in those where the legum inous plants have become firmly estab lished. Apart from the orderly aspect, the nourishment derived by the plants greatly assists production.

Coffee And Cocoa

At Keravat Demonstration Plantation outside Rabaul, which is under the control of the Agricultural Department, great in terest has always been taken in the cultiva tion of coffee. Several years back some 17 acres were interplanted with Robusta, Hybrid, Arabian and Stenophylla varieties for experimental purposes. The Robusta plants especially showed good promise.

Coffee and cocoa are now both yielding profitably, the former is all sold locally and a few shipments of the latter have been sent to Australia to test the market. Sel ected pods of best cocoa trees are sold to local planters, and their demand increases as the production is becoming more general.

Several new buildings have been com pleted at Keravat, including stores and a cocoa drier with movable roof,

Kapok

Some interest has been taken in the pro duction of kapok, but not on a large scale.

One plantation has recently had good crops and a reasonably good market in Australia offers some reward for the enterprise.

Both Java and Jamaica seed were dis tributed among New Guinea planters some years back and several growers achieved success with the Java seed. One New Britain planter cultivated over 2000 trees.