240 USEFUL PLANTS OF GUAM. 



hiittt-r" niatlo from racan (Throhromd rarno), the source of chocolate, Avhich is also 

 an iiiii>orlaiit coniiiiercial i-nxhict." The process of inanufactiin^ of coconut l)utter 

 has been kept secret. The main diiliculties to overcome were the tendency to ran- 

 cidity of tlie fat and its liquid consistency. The credit for carrying on experiments 

 which iinally led to success is due to the firm of Rocca, Tassy & de Ilf)ux, of Mar- 

 seille, who have also erected a plant in Hand)urg. Magnan Freres have more 

 recently succeeded in making a satisfactory butter by independent experiments, and 

 some German houses are now doing the samc^ thing. 



"The effort to extract an edible grease fnjm an oil produced upon so vast a scale 

 and formerly available only for the manufacture of soap gave promise of valuable 

 returns if successful; and that this promise was not delusive may be judged from the 

 circnnistance that the factory of Rocca, Tassy <k de Roux, which produced 25 tons 

 of butter per month in 1900, now (1902) turns out 600 tons per month. * * * The 

 butter is not at all a by-product of the manipulation of the oil, as in the factory of 

 Messrs. Rocca, Tassy & de Roux, 7,200 tons of butter are obtained from 8,000 tons of 

 oil )M'r annum in a year of maxinuim results. The butter is styled 'vegetaline' and 

 'cocoaline,' the greater demand being for the former. The lirst named melts at 

 26° C. and the latter at 31° C, being by that fact better suited for warm climates. 

 * * * The activity of the manufacturers in trying to establish their private marks 

 and in advertising their product as one of pure copra oil proves that the main object is 

 to serve the i-onstantly increa.sing pul)lic demand for comestible vegetable greases."^ 



In the United States the principal manufacturers of food products from coconut 

 oil are the India Refining Company, of Philadelphia. They have a process by which 

 the rancidity of the oil is eliminated, so that it is sweet, neutral, and adapted for fam- 

 ily use and for manufacturing purposes by bakers, confectioners, and perfumers. 

 One brand, called "kokoreka," consists of the stearin of the coconut oil, having 

 a melting point of about 27.3° C. This is used by manufacturing confectioners in 

 combination with or in place of cacao butter. A lighter brand, called "ko-nut," 

 is used for baking and domestic purposes in place of butter and lard. It has a 

 melting point of about 23° C. Specimens of these products, submitted to the Bureau 

 of Chemistry of the Department of Agriculture for analysis, proved to be remarkably 

 free from fatty acids, the "ko-nut" containing 0.13 per cent and "kokoreka," the 

 harder substance, only 0.04 per cent. The material from which this company manu- 

 factures its products is East Indian coconut oil. Though they are prepared to press 

 oil from copra itself and have a perfectly equipped oil mill, it lies idle for want of 

 material. There is no reason why America should not offer a market for all the 

 copra produced in Guam, the Philippines, and Samoa. In a letter from Albin Garrett, 

 president of the India Refining Company, he says: 



When we consider results of the development of the coconut industry in the 

 island of Ceylon, with an area of 25,000 square miles and a production of coconut 

 products of 76,210,370 pounds in 1893, and risen to 206,035,384 pounds in 1903— a 

 period of ten years, it would seem that, with American methods and enterprise intro- 

 duced into the Philippines, with 41,000 square miles of territory in the island of 

 Luzon alone and 116,000 in the group, with a very enormous coast line, which is 

 what counts in coconut production, a great field is open there for development. As 

 we believe this city is the largest market in the world for manila hemp and has the 

 only plant for handling copra in this country, it would seem that the lines will open 

 if the button could be prqperly touched. 



In consequence of tests made by Dr. Theodor Ternes, of the Royal Imperial 

 Hospital of Vienna, an official report was made, stating that coconut butter meets 

 all hygienic requirements; that it is superior to animal fat and butter; that it is 



«See Listoe, Cocoa Butter in the Netherlands; and Skinner, Copra Products at 

 Marseille; Advance Sheets of Consular Reports, October 15, 1902. 



6 Official Report of U. S. Consul-General Robert P. Skinner, September 18, 1902. 



