750 



Barbados, Jan. 14th, 1905, p. 6), In Trinidad it has been found 

 that 275 to 300 nuts give 100 lb. of copra or 5-6 gallons of oiU 

 returns vary on each estate according to the quality of the nuts 

 produced and to the machinery employed (Journ. Bd. Agric. 

 B. Guiana, April 1912, p. 207). 



In the preparation of " coir " or fibre the outer layer or 

 husks of the fruits are first retted in tanks of water for about 

 two days ; they are then spht into 4 or 5 pieces and the fibres 

 are combed, washed and dried in the sun. When dry the fibres- 

 are separated by further combing and graded into equal lengths — 

 the long straiglit fibres for brushmaking and the towselled 

 combings for mat -making ; packed sej)arately in bales of 

 1-2 cwt. each (Kew Bull. 1889, p. 132)— for export "The 

 annual yield of * coir * fibre from one tree is given at from 5-6 Ib.^ 

 average price (1912) about 12^. M. per cwt." (Agric, News 

 Barbados, March 2nd, 1912, p. 68)— value (1920) for Cocl 

 56^., and Ceylon 275.-335. per cwt. (Mon. Circ, Ide Christie^ 

 1 5th Jan. 1920)^or " the husk from 1000 nuts weighing 

 1700 lb. gives approximately 400 lb. of fibre of all grades. 

 In some factories where fibres are specially selected and 

 treated to provide the " horse-hair " substitute, the fibre- 

 obtained from the same weight of husk is about 300 lb. The; 



m 



dry 



An approxi- 



mate estimate of the net profit obtained from the fibre and 

 residue of 1000 nuts may be put in round figures at £1 (Coghlan„ 

 I.e. p. 35). 



In Trinidad — where there were three coconut-fibre factories,, 



480 long tons — the preparation of 



with 



W 



are first battened down in concrete tanks and soaked in water 

 for about 5 days after which they are passed through a crusher 

 composed of a pair of cogged rollers pressed together by heavy 

 springs. The cleaning mill consists of a rotating drum about 

 30 in. in diameter, fitted on the periphery with steel spikes. In 

 front of this drum there is a pair of small feed rollers through 

 which the husk is fed and held against the rotating teeth. The 

 husk is passed through these rollers as far as possible without 

 letting go of it. It is then drawn back and turned end for end. 

 After that it is turned over and the operation is repeated. The 

 long-staple fibre, generally known as the brush fibre, remains 

 in the operator's hands and the short-staple fibre, known as 

 mattress fibre is drawn into the machine. So far as the long- 

 staple fibre is concerned it is now finished except for drying. 

 The mattress fibre, containing all the refuse, is taken from under 

 the cleaning mills and put into the 'wdllowing machine, which is 



drum covered with i-in. wire 



containing revolving beater drums mounted on a shaft which 



rotates in the opposite direction to the drum. The fibre is 

 then spread out in the sun to dry which in fair weather can be 

 done in a day. Finally it is hydrauhcally pressed into bales. 



