46 COCONUT CULTIVATION 



It occasionally happens that a tree, although 

 it has to all appearances matured, gives no sign 

 of fruit or blossom. In such circumstances, a 

 heap of leaves and rubbish burnt close to the 

 trunk of the tree, has the desired effect of 

 bringing the tree into bearing, but this should 

 only be done when absolutely necessary. 



Husking. The process of husking is very 

 laborious, yet simple. The husk is torn off after 

 it is split by striking the nut smartly on the 

 point of a steel crowbar, or sharpened hard-wood 

 stake, firmly fixed in the ground with the pointed 

 end up. 



Oil Machinery. The usual system adopted is \ 

 to crush out the oil from the copra by hydraulic \y 

 machinery ; the copra is first ground into a mass V 

 like saw-dust; this is subjected to steam and /\ 

 then pressed by machinery, the oil running out, 

 and the refuse forming a cake called poonac, 

 which is very valuable as cattle food or manure.* 



Poonac. After the oil has been pressed out 

 of the copra the residue is called poonac, or 

 coconut meal. The value of this by-product is 

 rapidly increasing, not only on account of its 

 beneficial uses as cattle feed, but as an organic 

 fertilizer of high grade. The crushed copra 

 gives off about 62 per cent, of oil, leaving the 

 balance, 38 per cent., as poonac. 



* See chapter on machinery on pages 63 to 81. 



