222 



results in oil, the differences are wide. For instance, at the rate 

 of 206 frnits to 7 lbs., it would require only 588 fruits to make up 

 the 20 lbs. weight of 800 West African fruit (600 perfect and 200 

 imperfect). And the divergence in the outputs of oil is remark- 

 able, but Farquhar's figure of 1.50 lbs. of oil to one bunch of fruit, 

 applies to native methods. 



As stated above, from the pericarps of 25 fruits the writer 

 obtained 1.625 ozs. of oil. This was done in the following way. 

 After freeing the fruit of their calyces and peduncles, the pericarps 

 were sliced off with a sharp knife, cut np small, and passed through 

 a special mincer which ground them to a fine paste. Boiling water 

 was then poured, in small cpiantities, into the mincer, and the 

 watery paste was allowed to escape by a tap at the bottom of the 

 mincer into a pan which was put on the fire and boiled for 1^ hours, 

 the mash being stirred the while, until the oil began to show itself 

 on the edges, Avhen it was dribbled from time to time into a cup. 

 Boiling was continued, small quantities of water being added at 

 times, until no more oil was seen to separate from the sediment 

 which was put by until next morning when only a few drops of 

 congealed oil had exuded. Perhaps a little more oil might have 

 been obtained by pressing the sediment, but this was not done. 



At first the oil is of a dark-l;)rown orange c-olour, very clear, 

 but the next day a very small quantity of sediment had formed at 

 the bottom. In the early mornings it is congealed in the bottle 

 and it takes the colour of anchovy sauce. The odour when fresh 

 is pleasant, but eggs fried in it, came to the table with a deep 

 orange film, suggestive of varnish or floor polish — and the flavour, 

 to a palate accustomed to fresli coconut oil or gingelly-oil, Avas not 

 <iuite pleasant. Yet, according to the " Bullciin des Matieres 

 Gfasses" No. Jf, 1919, page ISn. palm-oil is one of the most ad- 

 vantageous materials for the manufacturing of margarine, when 

 freed of its fatty acids. 



The yield of 1.625 ozs. of pericarp-oil (palm-oil) from 25 

 fruits, means that, from 600 perfect fr;iits in an average bunch 

 (we leave aside the 200 imperfect fruits), the resultant oil M'ould 

 be 2.43 lbs. per bunch, whereas the West African native, as shown 

 above, obtains only 1.50 lbs. per bunch. 



Tf we work out the above averages of outputs for an estate 

 under systematic cultivation of Elaeis gimieensis of say, one thou- 

 sand acres, we should arrive at the following figures respectively: — 



1.000 acres planted 27 x 27 feet = 50,000 trees. 



50,000 trees giving 5 bunches each annually would give 250,000 

 bunches. 



The " BuUetin Econouiir/ue ri Financier du Journal d'Agri- 

 culfiire TropiraJe " of Xovemlier. 1919 gives the following (|uota- 

 tions. 



Palm-oil Liverpool 10th November Congo £75 Lagos £83 per 

 ton. 



