Tung Oil In N.I.?

An Interesting Development

A NUMBER of reports to hand show that under the active and energetic leadership of the new Administrator (Sir Charles Rosenthal), the people of Norfolk Island are making efforts to establish there the industry of growing the profitable tung-oil trees. It would appear that they are being encouraged in their praiseworthy efforts by various Sydney interests, who apparently hope to get something out of the islanders’ enterprise.

The N.I. people would be very well advised to make the most careful in vestigations before they commit them selves to any serious expenditure on account of tung-oil culture.

The idea that the islands of the South Seas could profitably produce tung oil was first advanced in the “Pacific Islands Monthly” about 1931; and the “P.1.M.”, during the next four or five years, kept careful account of the re sults of the experiments made in several Pacific Islands, and especially New Guinea, the Solomons, and New Cale donia.

All the experiments of which we have had authentic news indicate that the tung-oil tree (Aleurites Fordii) grows vigorously on the uplands of the Islands, but that it fails to produce a profitable crop. Various observers were forced to the conclusion that this variety of tung oil tree (which is the variety cultivated

with’ such success in China) will not produce profitably in an oceanic climate —that is, in islands dominated by ocean winds. The Fordii variety, however, grows profitably in China, in • Florida (U.S.A.), and apparently is going to be a profitable producer in the eastern states of Australia —that is, where it is grown under climatic conditions domin ated by land masses.

We believe that the other variety of tung oil—namely, Aleurites Montana— which is successfully cultivated in Cochin-China, would grow satisfactorily in the Pacific Islands, just as it does in Cochin-China; but the Montana variety, as a producer of tung oil, is not com parable with Fordii. We understand that the Montana variety produces smaller nuts with less oil content.

A period of four or five years is needed in which to test out properly the possibilities of Aleurites Fordii. A test was made recently on the north island of New Zealand; and we understand that the result was a failure. Norfolk Island planters should make inquiries.

Captain Julian Dash wood, formerly of Arorangi, Rarotonga, Cook Islands, is now settled down at Mauke Island where he is branch manager for the Cook Is.

Trading Co. He is known to the Is landers as Trader Rakau—"rakau” be ing the Maori word for wood.

Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Bourke, of Koranga Gold Sluicing Ltd., arrived in Australia from the Morobe goldfield, New Guinea, by the May “Montoro”. They are on three months’ furlough.