126 WALKER. 



conditions subject the materials more or less to the action of smoke, and 

 it is not impossible that this procedure brings with it a slight antiseptic 

 action which would tend to diminish the subsequent growth of organisms 

 and work in favor of the final percentage of oil to be obtained in extrac- 

 tion. JSTevertheless, the arguments are all in favor of preparing a clean, 

 white, perfectly dried copra, which will not afford a medium for the 

 growth of organisms unless the conditions of shipping which surround 

 it are such as to allow of sufficient absorption of water after drying to 

 facilitate mold growth. 



SUMirARY. 



Six different molds, any one of wliich is capable of hydi'olyzing and 

 destroying fat, have been isolated from among the many organisms found 

 growing on rancid copra and coconut meat. 



This fat destruction is part of the life process of the mold, and is 

 independent of bacterial action, since it proceeds equally well in pure 

 and in mixed cultures. 



Copra which had been acted on by molds was found to have suffered 

 an almost total loss of sugar. 



The bacteria found on copra have very little effect on the quality or 

 quantity of oil produced from it. A slight diminution in total weight 

 of oil was found in only one ease to be due to bacterial action. Practic- 

 ally their only effect is the production of a more or less disagreable "sour" 

 odor and the disintegration of the meat. 



It is good commercial practice to prepare only the best, white, perfectly 

 dried copra. 



IV. TPIE PKODUCTION OF FKEE ACID IN COMMERCIAL COCONUT OIL ON LONG 



STANDING. 



About 1 liter of crude coconut oil, freshly made from a rather poor 

 quality of copra, was taken directly from a coconut-oil factory and allowed 

 to stand in a large, wide-mouthed bottle for twenty-three days, until most 

 of the turbid matter had settled out. During this time the free fatty 

 acids had increased in percentage from 6.9 to 7.4,° or at the rate of 

 about 8 per cent total increase per year. This rate of increase was fully 

 double that which might be expected from a commercial oil of an initial 

 aciditj' of 6.9 per cent, and it was thought possible that some abnormal 

 influences were at work on this freshly prepared oil, which might or might 

 not continue their effect on long standing ; the logical idea being that the 

 comparatively rapid splitting up of fat in copra by the action of molds 



■■^This figure represents the clear portion of the oil. After shaking the bottle 

 to obtain a representative sample together with sediment, etc., a figure of 7.6 

 per cent was obtained. 



