142 THE COCONUT OIL AND 



through the crevices in the boats to vessels placed 

 underneath, after which the pulp is pressed for the 

 remainder. The process is a tedious one, occupy- 

 ing months, and the product a dark brown, viscid 

 product is worth less than half the market value 

 of the superior oil. 



" With the development of the industry, how- 

 ever, more up-to-date efficient methods have been 

 evolved, the modern oil mills established in Malabar, 

 Ceylon, and other centres being splendidly equipped 

 with special decorticating, rasping, hydraulic crush- 

 ing, steam boiling and filtrating machines, and also 

 with facilities for converting the residue into cattle- 

 food cake. The disintegration of the pulp is 

 effected by toothed iron discs, against which the 

 kernels are placed by the operators. The shredded 

 nut is then allowed to undergo partial decomposi- 

 tion in flat pans, after which it is subjected to 

 moderate pressure ; the resulting liquor is caught 

 in vessels and, after standing for a few hours, the 

 supernatant oil is skimmed off the top. This oil 

 is then treated in iron pans until all the water has 

 evaporated. Then, in order to facilitate its cooling, 

 and prevent its deepening in colour, two pailfuls 

 of cold, water-free oil are poured in, and the fire 

 quickly withdrawn. Next the compressed shreds 

 are once more exposed to air, and put under more 

 powerful pressure, and after these operations have 

 been repeated the material is suspended in sacks 



