239 



Number of Mark and Weight of Sample. - 

 rium commune. Weight ij^ lb. 



-Seeds of Cana- 



Description. — Seeds or nuts measuring about l% inch in length 

 and % inch in diameter, somewhat resembling Spanish chestnuts in 

 shape, and pale brownish grey to dark brown in colour. The shells 

 were about % inch in thickness, and very hard. 



The nuts consisted of shell, 87. 1 per cent. ; and kernel, 12.9 per 

 cent. Most of them contained at least 2 kernels (about 30 per cent, 

 contained 3 kernels), but a few contained only one. The kernels had 

 a chocolate-coloured coat, enclosing a cream-coloured interior which 

 had a pleasant oily taste. 



The kernels were analysed with the following results : — 



Results of Examlnation Expressed on 



Received.— Moisture ... percent. ... 



Crude proteine ... „ „ 

 Consisting of 



True proteins ... „ „ 

 Other nitrogenous 



substances ... ,, „ 



Fat ... ... „ „ 



Starch, &c. ... ... „ „ 



Fibre ... ... „ „ 



Ash ... ... „ „ 



Nutritive Value.— Nutrient ratio:— (the ratio 

 between the percentage of crude proteins and the sum 

 of the percentages of starch and fat, the latter being 

 first converted into its starch equivalent) 



Food Units :— (the total obtained by adding the 

 percentage of starch to 2.5 times the sum of the 

 percentages of fat and crude proteins) 



Material as 



... 2.0 



13.5 



12.9 



0.6 



72.3 



74 



trace 



3-9 



1 : 12.3 



221.9 



Commercial Valuation and Remarks. — The kernels of these 

 nuts have a very high food value, and the proportion of fat is large, 

 viz., 72.3 per cent, as against 65 per cent, in the case of walnuts, fil- 

 berts and hazel nuts. The difficulty of breaking the shells would, 

 however, prevent the use of the nuts in Europe for dessert purposes. 



If the nuts were shelled locally and the whole kernels alone ex- 

 ported in good fresh condition, the product might perhaps find a 

 market in European confectionery ; but the kernels have no special 

 advantage in taste over the kinds already used for this purpose, and as 

 the nuts yield only 13 per cent, of kernels, the extraction might be un- 

 remunerative at the price obtainable. 



