478 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



been variously estimated that out of a hundred tons of whole fruit 

 the native obtains by his methods : 



7 tons of oil worth (pre-war rates) £12 per ton = £84. 

 15 tons of kernels worth (pre-war rates) £6 per ton = £90. 



Again, out of the whole fruit, the result of various investigations 

 shows that the pericarp comprises 30 per cent., shell 56 per cent., the 

 kernels 14 per cent., and that there is 50 per cent, of oil in the peri- 

 carp. It has also been estimated that out of a hundred tons of whole 

 fruit, a maximum of 15 tons of oil and 14 tons of kernels can be 

 obtained by machinery. These at the pre-war rates would be worth 

 approximately £600 and £200 — in all, £800. It has also been estimated 

 that the crushing of the fruit, the various freights, the carriage by rail 

 and ocean, cost of bags, shipping, landing charges, insurance and general 

 exiDcnses would amount to £4 per ton, or in all about £400. This leaves 

 about £400 to pay for the fresh fruit and allow for a profit ; thus, paying 

 £1 per ton for the fresh fruit, there would still be £300 left for profit, 

 or in the case of paying £2 per ton there would be £200 left. How- 

 ever, so far £1 per ton has proved too low a rate for the natives 

 to accept, and in most places it has been refused. It is doubtful 

 whether £2 per ton will attract them sufficiently to bring in the large 

 bulk of farm produce which is available. From an average closely 

 stocked Oil Palm area the fruit could not be collected at a cost 

 of £1 per ton, and it is very doubtful if it could be done for 

 £2 per ton. So far, it appears that the native working for 

 himself in his own time will always do things at a cheaper rate than 

 paid labour under European supervision. Further investigations will, 

 however, prove what a high price can be paid for the fresh fruit 

 at the factory and yet leave sufficient margin to make a profit on the 

 extraction of the pericarp oil, and also of the cracking of the nuts. 

 In this connection the crushing of the kernels is considered rather a 

 separate economic problem, as several other market factors come 

 in which do not apply to the case of the pericarp oil and the uncrushed 

 kernels. The machinery for the crushing of the kernels on the whole 

 is much more intricate, costly, and requires much more highly-trained 

 European supervision. 



10a. Percentage Oil and Kernels. — According to the investiga- 

 tions of the Imperial Institute, the composition of the fruit is as follows : 



Per cent. 

 Pericarp oil . . . . . . . . 18 



Fibre and moisture . . . . . . 12 



Shell and disk 58 



Kernel 12 



Cake for fattening hogs . . . . 100 



The kernel contains 46 to 53 per cent, of oil. 



