68 THE GOLD COAST 



The fruiting heads consist of large bunches which hang 

 from near the crown of the tree, and each fruit is partly 

 enveloped in a husk-like covering. When removed from 

 this it is found to be smooth, somewhat conical or irregu- 

 larly compressed, tapering towards an abrupt point. The 

 colour when fresh varies from orange-red to nearly white, 

 with a more or less broad black apex. In section it 

 appears to be composed of a thick fibrous layer over a 

 hard, somewhat rounded stone, which contains a whitish 

 kernel. It is from the fibrous portion, which is included 

 in what is botanically termed the pericarp, that the oil 

 is obtained, but the kernel also contains another valuable 

 oil, for the extraction of which it is shipped to Europe 

 to a large extent. 



Preparation of Palm Oil. When the ripe head has been 

 cut from the tree, it is left upon the ground for a few days 

 in order that a shrinkage in the fruits may occur, which 

 renders them more easily dislodged from their husk-lined 

 places. The fruit also becomes slightly dull in colour. The 

 heads bearing the fruit are often beaten to remove the 

 latter, or they are individually broken out by hand. In 

 order to facilitate the extraction of the fruit kernels, the 

 fruits are usually buried in the ground in a pit lined with 

 plantain leaves. Here they remain for from three weeks 

 to a month, during which time decomposition is set up. 

 The subsequent quality of the oil is dependent upon the 

 degree to which this is allowed to proceed, rancid and 

 thick oils resulting when it has been overdone. On the 

 other hand, the higher the state of decomposition the 

 greater is the facility for separating the fibrous pulp from 

 the stones. On removing the fruits from the ground 

 they are placed in an open vat (Fig. 1 5) and pounded by 

 a number of people using long poles, after which they are 

 covered up for several hours in order that the oil may 

 drain into the small well shown at the side. Several 

 consecutive poundings are applied, until the fibrous pulp 

 is quite separated and most of the oil has drained out, 

 after which the stones are combed out with the fingers, 

 and the pulp is placed in a bag and pressed on a horizontal 

 bar until the oil flows from it into a pit below. The oils 

 from these extractions are boiled and cleared, and the 

 residual pulp is often placed in the boiling pot so as to 

 extract as much oil as possible. This is the method 



