13 



contain the maximum of oil, especially if they have not been cured 

 before opening. All nuts should be cured for from one to three weeks 

 immediately after picking; bamboo platforms raised about a meter 

 above* the gi-ound should be used in "drying out" the nuts to be used 

 for copra; there should be no danger of these nuts absorbing moisture 

 from the ground (which would in time induce sprouting), but it is not 

 necessary to build a roof over the drying platforms. The nuts may be 

 arranged two or three deep over the curing platform, which should, of 

 course, have raised sides. Each copra factory should have several of 

 these long benches or platforms located preferably in the shade of old 

 coconuts. It is a question how long nuts should be cured after removal 

 from the tree before opening; however, it is certain that a certain per- 

 centage of the substance in the liquid inside the shell becomes solidified 

 gradually if the nut is kept dry for a while before "breaking." The 

 nuts may be husked at any time during the curing process, preferably 

 as soon as convenient, since the moisture in the husks can do no good to 

 the "meat" content; and it might do harm by inducing premature ger- 

 mination, which, of course, materially affects the oil content of the "meat." 

 The only objection to husking without breaking the nuts at once there- 

 after is that, during the handling after husking, some of the shells may 

 be more or less cracked, and, of course, fermentation and decay of the 

 "meat" begins within a day or two after the shell is broken. 



The question of transportation of the nuts from the tree to the curing 

 and husking centers is one which depends largely upon local conditions 

 for the details of its management ; on large estates, however, the economy 

 of narrow-gauge tram lines radiating into several sections of the planta- 

 tion is unquestionable ; racks to hold several hundred nuts can be cheaply 

 made to fit the trucks running on the tramways; and the advantage of 

 handling the crops of an entire plantation at one central plant is obvious. 



Machine buskers can be obtained but are recommended only for large 

 plantations or for oil mills handling large quantities of nuts. 



The cutting of small steps in the trunk to facilitate climbing should 

 not be permitted except, perhaps, in the case of old trees. 



The production of tuba, or palm wine, in certain cases may be more 

 remunerative and probably not more injurious to the trees than the 

 production of copra. It is possible that the maturing of nuts draws 

 upon the vitality of the young tree more severely than would the loss 

 of the sap (tuba) from the flower buds. 



COPRA. 



Considering the two grades of copra which the wholesale buyers can 

 use in unlimited quantities, namely, the edible-food-product grade and 

 the ordinary oil grade (utilizable in soap manufacture), two methods of 

 drying copra may be employed in the Philippines. Thus far it appears 



