Norwich bulletin., 1915-03-12
PALM KERNELS AND
 OIL TRADE BADLY AFFECTED
South African Business Has Remained
 Almost Solely in Hands of Germans
 and British.
Especial to The Bulletin.9

Washington, D. C., March 11-l Palm kernels and the palm kernel oil trade in Africa have been hard hit by the present war in Europe. says a statement issued today by the Nation al Geographic Society at Washington Palm kernel oil manufacture has hitherto been among those industries of which the world seldom hears. sumes vast quantities of this article, and its demands for the oil are stead lily and rapidly growing.
 "The oil palm is native of west tropical Africa and its exploitation has remained almost entirely in the hands of the Germans and British. The Germans have taken the leading part in the upbuilding of this indus
 try, and, with their activity war
 smothered, a serious falling-off in the output of palm oil is to be expected. "The West African natives extract ed the oil, and used 1t for food, for toilet purposes, and for barter with the white man. Their method of ob- taining the oil was wastefui and tedt- | ous and in recent years the natives have practically lost all part in the commerce. Palm kernel oil is said to l be the oldest staple in the West AfTi- | can coast trade.
 For a long time palm kernel oil was brought into commerce for the exclusive uses of the soap-naker and
 the chandler. Today, it has scores of | uses and it's field for employment is | widening steadily. The annual West l African turnover of this little-knoWn \ business has reached $26,00O,0O0. "Deodorized by hydrogen, palm oil is used in the preparation of nut but 1 ters. The glycerine constituents of nitroglycerine are being derived more | and more from palm oil. This pro duct, has a number of medicinal uses;
 it is employed in the arts, and in the ! manufacture of soap, metal polish and l lubricants.
 With a secure future ahead of it,
 ehe palm kernel oil industry before
 the war was attracting capital and l labor almost as rubber did when a
 nanifolding of this articles uses made ever greater demands upon the pro l ducers. The palm oil orchard was be- ginning to push the rubber plantation | and the orange grove investments for l popularity.
 Germany, the land of scientific
 methods and exact organization, de-
 veloped this trade and centered the | Hamburg. Here large mills were
 opened; the palm kernel oil was won, l and the residue was prepared as palm kernel cake and meal The by-pro- duct has been found to be an excep- l tionally good feed for dairy cattle. The oil was, also, extracted to some | extent In Liverpool Great Britain and Germany practically controlled the trade between them, though several 1 other countries have been small pro- ducers.
 | Those interested in the oil insist that the manufacturers of soaps and margerines will always be ready to
 take any quantity that may become available. Since the outbreak of the | war, the supply has been largely cut down, and this setback may result in | drawing several of the neutral nations into the producing field.
 | "One ton of kernel produces 1000 pounds of oil, or the kernels yield be- tween 46 and 53 per cent oil. The
 palm kernel cake has played an inn portant part in Germany dairy de-
 velopment of recent years. As a
 dairy feed, it has been found unus- ually valuable. It increases the milk yield, improves the butterfat, and en-
 riches the coloring of the butter"