THE NUT BUTTER INDUSTRY 175 



550 tons of nut butter per day. From the im- 

 mense churns, which are all bright and spotless, 

 being cleansed and brushed by machinery, the 

 milk is pumped to the top floor, passed over 

 coolers containing brine, and thence conducted to 

 numerous refrigerating tanks, each having a 

 capacity of over 1,500 gallons. It is then Pas- 

 teurised, and has imparted to it just the necessary 

 degree of sourness and acidity which facilitates the 

 process of butter- making. This is accomplished 

 by a process of mixing and preparation in a series 

 of colossal cradles in which an army of infants 

 could be rocked. 



The coconuts are gathered, split, and treated, 

 in the manner described in a preceding chapter, 

 on the plantations, the product being shipped to 

 England. Landed from the steamer, it is promptly 

 conveyed to the top floor of an immense six-storey 

 building, where it is handled by expert workmen, 

 who reduce it to small dimensions with wonderful 

 rapidity, the result being a vast quantity of pure, 

 white-flaked substance. This, passing through 

 shoots to the floor below, is melted in huge tanks, 

 which are kept constantly stirred. The milk is 

 then added, and blends with the coconut oil, the 

 mixture being slightly varied in order to secure the 

 different grades of quality. One of the most 

 attractive features of the process is its spotless 

 cleanliness, every stage being consummated 



