COPRA AND ITS PREPARATION. 



Now, after all due care has been observed 

 with reference to the judicious selection of the 

 site and soil, the proper choosing of the 'seed- 

 nuts, the most advantageous planting out and 

 expert care in looking after things steadily 

 and continuously, and when, in its full time 

 and season, the plantation has been brought to 

 maturity, it is expedient to go to work and 

 prepare for the best mode of " making up " the 

 copra. Copra is the nut-kernel or meat of 

 the coco-nut in a more or less thoroughly dry 

 state, so as to render it fit for shipment to the 

 over-sea markets. Only sun and mechani- 

 cally dried copra are fit for making into oils, 

 for human consumption, especially for con- 

 fectionery purposes. Fire-dried copra is for 

 soap and candle manufacture only. There 

 are three methods employed for preparing 

 copra for shipment, viz., first, the crude and 

 original native way of drying the kernels by 

 means of the tropical sun, either on the ground, 

 on barbecues, or on drying racks and hurdles 

 with provision for roofing in wet weather ; 

 secondly, on split bamboo hurdles or on grills 

 over fires ; and thirdly, the artificial way (in- 

 troduced by Europeans) of drying the kernels 



