122 



WALKER. 



Crude fiber in the foot. — A slight increase in this constituent (fi-om 

 1.1 per cent and 0.9 per cent in numbers 1 and 2, to 2 per cent and 1.8 

 per cent in numbers 7 and 8 respectively) will be noted. 



If we consider the total weights of the constituents, oil, sugar, and 

 fiber, the following changes may be remarked : 



Oil. — A decrease from 163 grams in nimiber 1 to 78 grams in number 

 8 is observed, or a total loss of 85 grams. 



Sugar. — There appears to be a considerable loss in total weight of 

 sugar during the intermediate period of germination, which is however 

 again made up at the time the foot fills the entire nut. Increase in 

 sugar takes place in the foot. Considering the first and last of the series, 

 numbers 1 and 8, the following changes in sugar content have taken 

 place : 



Portion ol the nut. 



Loss. 



Gain. 



Meat 

 Milk 







Grams. 

 17.0 

 7.5 



Grams. 









Foot.- 



26.0 





Total 







24.5 



26.0 





Crude fiber. — There is a slight loss in the total weight of fiber in 

 foot and meat, which is more than made up by the increased weight of 

 sprout and roots. 



Free fatty acids and oil from the meat. — From the beginning, the oil 

 from the meat nearest the foot is invariably richest in fatty acids, 

 number 1, for instance, yielding 0.92 per cent in that portion, while 

 the balance contains but 0.27 per cent. This difference becomes more 

 marked as germination progresses; it is only when the foot has come 

 in complete contract with all the meat that an increase in fatty acids 

 throughout the whole nut is observed, indicating that oil, to be in a 

 condition for absorption, must be hydrolized. This hydrolysis may take 

 place as the result of an enzyme in the foot, or be caused by one in the 

 meat, which is dormant until rendered active by some product of 

 metabolism in the foot. However, as I have stated in the previous 

 chapter, it was not possible to prove by an increase in free acid the 

 presence of any fat splitting enzyme in the coconut. Such an enzyme 

 may exist, but under such conditions that any large excess of free acid 

 must be used up by the growing plant before the process can continue. 



A summary of the changes to be detected by chemical analysis of the 

 growing coconut is as follows : 



Oil is lost by the meat; it is not taken up as such by any other 

 portion of the nut, but is either burned to furnish energy for the growing 



