OIL PALM AND PALM KERNEL INDUSTRY 473 



seen going on in parts of the Afikpo, Owerri, Abakaliki, Onitsha, 

 If on and Ibadan districts. It is a serious menace to the future 

 development of the Oil Palm industry. 



6a. Native Method of Collecting Fruit. — The native, to collect 

 the fruit, climbs the tree with a specially made rope round his waist, 

 by which he gradually hoists himself up. With a rough chisel, like a 

 piece of iron with a handle, he first cuts off the leaf just above the fruit 

 and then severs the bunch, letting it fall to the ground. Many of the 

 fruits drop out in the transit, but these the native does not trouble 

 to gather up. 



It is usual for the Chief to close the forest for a certain time until 

 the Oil Palm fruit is more or less ripe, and then the natives can 

 gather it all at the same time. Owing to the difference in 

 the time of the ripening of the individual fruits at the top of the 

 bunch and those at the base, many fall to the ground before the bunch 

 is actually cut off the tree. These are not gathered up, and are taken 

 away by rodents or birds, or come up in the same place. 



7. Native Method of Making Oil and Kernel Inspection. — 

 The native cracks the palm kernel almost entirely by hand, the nuts 

 being first dried in the sun on the ground in open spaces, surrounded 

 roughly with little billets of wood, or in small sheds. When dry, they 

 are taken out and cracked on rocks (if they happen to be in the neigh- 

 bourhood) with a piece of stone in the cracker's hand. Should the 

 spot be devoid of rock, a piece of wood or stone takes its place, and 

 then a piece of iron or stone is used by him in the right hand. Good 

 workers, usually small girls or women, can crack about 15 to 20 lb. 

 a day in this manner. 



An inspection fee on palm kernels and oil has undoubtedly 

 helped to improve the product immensely and not reduced the 

 output. 



The kernels are picked out at the same time, the shell remaining 

 more or less where the nut is cracked. A certain amount of shell 

 adheres to the kernel, and if it is an excessive amount the native picks 

 it off. Anyhow, when he reaches the factory the shell contents must 

 not exceed 5 per cent. Although they are not actually dried, they 

 are usually kept in a dry, cool place, until sufficient have been collected 

 to sell either in the local market or straight to a European factory. 

 The inspection of the palm produce, both oil and kernels, takes place 

 at the factory, where the produce is bought by the Inspectors of 

 Produce under the Customs Department. 



la. Kinds of Oil. — Most of the oil is soft, but as some hard oil 

 is made which is worth £3 or £4 less per ton than the former, owing 

 to its having about 8 per cent, less of glycerine, and both are made by 

 a different process, both methods will be described. 



Hard oil is made chiefly near Onitsha and Ikpa markets, east of 



