182 
approximate time required to dry copra under the most favorable condi- 
tions by each of the methods previously considered : 
| Method. | Time. | 
| 
| PRIN oes decicncouvenadaeeueet | 5 days. | 
APL © Seach ce eunene | 10 to12hours. | 
| Hot air (box) --------------| 3) to 4 hours. | 
| Hot air (rotary) __------__-- /2to8hours. | | 
| 
NR OUGE 2-23. | 52 to 6} hours. | 
L | 
The quality of the copra produced by the hot-air box drier is very 
much superior to that yielded by any other method, since it is perfectly 
white and dry, retaining the pleasant odor and taste of fresh coconut 
meat. For oil-making purposes the rotary apparatus, because it lends 
itself to a continuous process and requires considerably less time, recom- 
mends itself especially, although its product does not present quite so 
pleasing an appearance. Either of these two methods, on account of 
their cheapness and simplicity, should be preferred to vacuum drying. 
Centrifugating—Another method of drying suggests itself, which 
should prove to be very efficient, although, owing to lack of facilities, 
I have not as yet been able to give it a practical test. This is to extract 
the meat from coconuts by means of a rotary burr and to run this 
product directly into a powerful centrifugal from which the greater part 
of the water would be thrown off at once. A comparatively short, sup- 
plementary drying by means of hot air would then suffice to prepare copra 
for expressing the oil. Another point in favor of this method is that the 
copra resulting therefrom, having lost most of its sugar and albuminoids 
together with its water in the process of centrifugation, would be able to 
withstand a higher temperature while drying (with a resulting economy 
of time) without showing the same tendency to turn brown. Once dry, it 
could be stored with less danger of deterioration through mold action than 
material prepared by ordinary methods. The objection may be raised 
that, during the centrifugation, a considerable amount of oil together 
with the water would be thrown off from the fresh meat, and that this 
would either entirely be lost or would necessitate much labor for its 
recovery. This, to a certain extent, is true, as the water in coconut meat 
exists in the form of a cream-like emulsion with oil, sugar, and albu- 
minoids. A sample of this “coconut cream,” prepared by expressing the 
fresh meat in a hand press, was, on analysis, found to have a specific 
gravity of 1.012 at 30° C. and to consist of— 
Per cent. 
VOT oo ge ene es oe Ruta en ee eee 56.3 
RT BEE a Cicidithns Cinetind db neew cnc tk pon it een smwhenn 43.7 
YO TS ag SNE Ea ee ee ne eee soe ede 1.2 
ee i ens eno as eam eae enor 33. 4 
fe She 8S re Seren Sema: Sie oer 4.1 
Total wager ee tevert euger. ...- -..--- -.---- .-~~-- s-- 24. --0-- 5.0 
12 Determination made by Mr. Richmond, of this laboratory. 
