These are striking results, and may appear exaggerated; but I will, to show how very moderate has been my calculation, give two returns, with which I have been favored from Ceylon.  These, it will be seen, differ materially, but the latter I can rely on as a practical result, from a plantation in Jaffna, the peninsula of the northern portion of the island.  After estimating the expense of establishing the plantation, the first writer sets down his return thus:—­

“The produce, calculating 90 trees to an acre, and 75 nuts to a tree, sold at L2 per 1,000, would yield 675,000 nuts, worth L1,350; or if converted into oil, calculating 30 to give one gallon, it would produce 22,500 gallons, or about 90 tons from 100 acres.”

From Jaffna, the following is an abridged estimate of return of 100 acres in full bearing:—­“At 27 feet apart, 58 trees per acre, 5,800 trees, at 60 nuts per tree, 3,480 nuts per acre, 100 acres, 348,000 nuts, at 40 nuts per imperial gallon, 8,700 gallons of oil, at 2s. per gallon, netted L8 14s. per acre.  The poonac left will pay the expense of making the oil.  If shipped to England, at the present time (close of 1848), the selling price there being 55s. per cwt., measuring 12 imperial gallons, say, 4s. 7d. per gallon, and the cost and charges of sending it home and selling it being 23s., it would leave 3s. per gallon, or L13 per acre.”  This sum is nett proceeds.

It will be seen by the above, that I have been extremely moderate in my computation of the return which may be anticipated, for there is no doubt that planters can, in favorable localities, on the coasts of most of our colonies, cultivate this palm with as much success as attends its culture in Ceylon.  By the first of the calculations I have cited from, that island, the gross return appears thus:—­

22,500 gallons at 4s. 7d L5,156 5
Coir—­one-fifth of value 1,031 4
Cake from 675,000 nuts, say 1/4 lb. each, 75 tons at L10 750 0
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Total gross return from 100 acres 6,937 9

According to the other calculation, the return will stand thus:—­

8,700 gallons at 4s. 7d L1,993 15
Coir 398 15
Cake from 348,000 nuts, 34 tons 340 0
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Total gross return from 100 acres 2,732 10

It will be seen that in my calculation I have set down the return lower than it is rendered in the less favorable statement from Ceylon by a sum of upwards of L1,000 sterling.  But even supposing one-half of the amount of the lower Ceylon estimate could be realised, we should have a return of L1,366 5s. sterling from 100 acres of sea side sand.