474 Coco-nuts The Consols of the East 



in Fiji, saves transport ; there can be no doubt 

 about that point ; against it remains the fact 

 that it is not always possible to prevent the 

 copra from getting wet whilst being made or 

 before it can be brought under shelter, and 

 that means* deterioration. When bringing in 

 the nuts and heaping them in a shed near the 

 homestead you can choose a favourable time 

 for extracting the copra, that is to say, within 

 a few weeks, and before the kernel begins to 

 undergo alterations previous to the sprouting. 

 It is also more convenient and less expensive 

 to husk the nuts at, and ship the coir fibre 

 from, the homestead, than if the husking is 

 done in the field. As no coir is made in Fiji 

 at present the latter point is not of any im- 

 portance. When artificial heat is used for 

 drying copra the hard shell of the nut is 

 generally used for fuel. Here in Fiji the 

 shells with the husks are left in heaps in the 

 field where the copra was cut, dried leaves 

 fallen from the trees are piled on top, and 

 the whole lot burned, the ashes serving as 

 manure. 



With a fresh wind and good sunshine two 

 days' exposure of the green copra is generally 

 reckoned sufficient time in which to dry it. It 

 is then put in a heap in the copra house to 

 await shipment. Further loss in weight takes 

 place here, and some 40 per cent, is lost alto- 

 gether in the drying process. Drying by 

 artificial heat is not done in Fiji, except on the 



