60 COCONUTS, KERNELS, AND CACAO. 



1J to 6| inches in length. The flowers appear from 

 January to March, according to the climate and the 

 situation of the tree. The white scented flowers are 

 borne in globular corymbs at the extremities of the 

 branches. The fruit ripens from May to September, 

 but principally in the latter part of July. It is spherical 

 or ellipsoidal in shape, somewhat resembling a plum, 

 and measures from 1J to 2 inches in length and from 

 H to If inches in diameter. The fruit consists of an 

 outer succulent pulp, of a yellowish or blackish-green 

 colour when ripe, enclosing usually one, or sometimes 

 two or three nuts. The pulp has a pleasant flavour, 

 and is largely eaten by the natives as a fruit. When 

 ripe the fruit falls to the ground, the pulp being then 

 often consumed by sheep and swine. The nuts generally 

 measure rather less than 1J inches in length and 1 inch 

 in diameter. The shell is usually of a light brown colour, 

 and resembles the shell of a Spanish chestnut ; on drying 

 it becomes hard and brittle, and can then be easily 

 removed. The kernel is soft and yellowish when fresh, 

 but when dry it becomes firm and turns a dark chocolate- 

 brown colour. The dry kernels vary in size and weight ; 

 large kernels generally have an average weight of 4| to 

 5 grains, whilst small kernels may weigh only 2| grains 

 each. The fresh fruit is composed of from 40 to 65 per 

 cent, of pulp, and 35 to 60 per cent, of fresh nuts, the 

 average being about 49 per cent, of nuts. The fresh 

 nuts yield on drying 57 per cent, of sun-dried nuts, or 

 39 per cent, of sun-dried kernels, containing 5 to 6 per 

 cent, of moisture, and in a condition suitable for export. 

 A native must gather and work up nearly 5| tons of 

 fruit in order to prepare 1 ton of kernels for export. 



