64 COCONUT CULTIVATION 



rotating at an angle of 120 degrees to each 

 other. The machine divides the complete nut 

 into three equal segments at the rate of from 

 80 to 100 per minute. Arrangements are some- 

 times made below the machine for the collection 

 of the milk while the solid portion is carried 

 away by a short band conveyor. Boys at the 

 side of the conveyor transfer the husks and 

 shells to trucks, while the meat is carried forward 

 to the drying house. 



Copra Drying House. The crude methods 

 adopted by natives for the production of copra, 

 viz., sun-drying, smoke-drying, etc., are unsuit- 

 able for commercial work and some form of 

 hot-air drying plant is essential. Practically 

 50 per cent, (the error being about 3 per cent, 

 on either side of 50) of the weight of the green 

 copra is extracted as moisture on drying, and 

 the dried copra will still contain from 8 to 10 

 per cent, of moisture. This amount of water 

 may be removed in from two to twelve hours 

 according to the process and the character of 

 the plant. The quality of the copra is naturally 

 modified by the character of the drying process, 

 too slow or too rapid drying producing charac- 

 teristic defects. A drying process using hot 

 air and taking about four hours appears to give 

 the best results. The association with the hot 

 air of anti-putrefactive agents such as sulphur 

 dioxide, to prevent fermentation and decom- 

 position, contributes to improved quality. 



