71 



Remove the fibrous husk of the nut. Then cut off the 

 upper part (the part containing the "eyes") with a saw, 

 so that the meat and the water may be easily removed. 

 Use a file to make the shell thin and smooth on the outside. 

 After filing, any coarse kind of sandpaper may be used; 

 but as the shell becomes thinner, a finer grade of sand- 

 paper should be employed, so as to take off the scratches 

 made by the coarser paper. 



The shell is now ready for polishing and converting into 

 the finished product. The smooth shell should be made 

 wet with alcohol and rubbed with powdered pumice stone 

 many times until it looks shiny and all the sandpaper 

 scratches disappear. Put 100 grams of shellac into 1^ liters 

 of denatured alcohol. Shake the bottle well in order to 

 thoroughly dissolve the shellac. With several drops of this 

 mixture moisten the inner surface of a soft cloth in which 

 are wrapped in the shape of a ball several other pieces of 

 soft cloth (be sure the cloth is clean when made into a 

 ball). Do not use too much of the alcohol-shellac mixture. 

 With this cloth ball, moistened as above stated, rub the 

 surface of the shell firmly, using plenty of "elbow grease." 

 If this does not produce a good polish, unfold the outer 

 cloth of the ball and put inside three or four more drops 

 of the alcohol-shellac mixture. Rub the shell again until 

 it looks shiny. The shell must not be touched with the 

 bare hands. Handle it with a piece of thin cloth. When 

 the shell has been properly polished with the alcohol-shellac 

 mixture, put a little olive oil (a drop or two, perhaps) into 

 the same cloth ball and rub the surface of the shell 

 thoroughly. 



Coir. — To produce coir, the outer surface of a piece of 

 the coconut husk is pounded and the glossy skin pulled off. 

 The dark, fibrous layer immediately under the epidermis 

 is removed, and twisted into strands for rope. The fibers 

 in the remaining light-brown layer are pulled apart, cleaned 

 by hand, and can then be used for mats. 



Roots.^ — The roots of coconut palms are excellent material 

 for basketry. The roots are very pliable and free from 



* Division Memorandum, No. 9, s. 1912, Occidental Negros. 



