190 The Philippine Journal of Science im 



one time and abandoned as being more expensive and less effi- 

 cient. The shellers and shavers are paid from 26 to 32 centavos 

 per 1,000 nuts, good workers of either sex handling from 1,500 

 to 2,000 nuts per day. Children for carrying, etc., receive about 

 20 centavos per day. 



The parings are carefully collected and spread out on cement 

 floors to dry (Plate II, fig. 1). Women provided with rakes 

 turn this material over from time to time until the copra thus 

 produced is ready for the grinders and presses, where it is com- 

 bined with that made from discarded nuts. The entire amount 

 is not large, even in mills capable of turning out considerable 

 desiccated coconut, but is a by-product well worth handling. The 

 broken shells are used for fuel to fire the engines, and in one 

 mill visited they were utilized as a very satisfactory source 

 of producer gas for an internal combustion engine.^ 



Hand shelling and shaving is used for all ordinary forms of 

 desiccated coconut, such as "granulated" and "threaded," but for 

 certain grades, especially "chips," it is advantageous to have 

 the kernel come to the knives in perfect form. This is accom- 

 plished by cutting the entire nuts into quarters with a circular 

 saw, that the meat may leave the shells intact. The shaving is 

 then done by a selected corps of women. The men at the 

 machines receive from 32 to 40 centavos per 1,000 units. 



The shaved nuts are thrown into tanks of fresh, cold water 

 to remove all milk or particles of dirt. Three successive wash- 

 ings are generally given the kernels on their way to the des- 

 iccating room. This is necessary to keep the meat fresh and 

 clean, as otherwise rancidity would injure the flavor. All opened 

 nuts must be prepared and packed ready for shipment within 

 twenty-four hours; if not, they must be discarded for copra. 

 The nuts are now quartered and sliced by women workers, given 

 a final washing, and packed in baskets for the machines. The 

 wash water is run into tanks, where the oil is allowed to rise 

 until it can be skimmed off. Irregularly shaped pieces of nut 

 are sent to the "granulating" machines and pieces of proper 

 length to the "thread" machine. Shaped portions of entire nuts 

 go to the "chip" machine, where they are packed in special steel 

 baskets holding perhaps half a dozen pieces. These baskets are 

 open at both ends. A filled basket is then introduced into a 

 machine that turns out shavings of coconut not unlike the wood 

 shavings from a carpenter's plane. 



* This use for shells offers a very promising source of power. 



