88 WEST AFRICAN FORESTS AND FORESTRY 
The fruit usually ripens in January, February, March, or sometimes 
earlier, and is left for six months. Usually the trees have to some 
extent been cleared by the natives, then on a certain day the bunches 
of fruit may be cut. This takes place after the natives have cut the 
bush down for making the chief’s farm. It also ensures, incidentally, 
that most of the fruit is quite ripe, though this is not the reason why 
the natives may not begin cutting off the bunches when they like. 
The bunches of fruit are left in the forest at convenient places at 
the edge of the path, covered with palm leaves. After a week or so 
these are taken to the village, and all the drupes cut off with a machete. 
These are next put in large earthenware pots with a little water, 
which are then placed over a good fire. In about an hour the fruit 
is thoroughly steamed. The fruit is then piled into a trough of beaten 
clay with a palm-nut bottom, or even stones. Water is poured in, 
and the fruit is pounded with the feet and also with a small pestle. 
The oil gradually rises in yellow fatty masses on the surface of the 
water, and is collected with the hand and put into a clean pot. 
As soon as a pot is filled, it is placed over a good fire to boil. When 
it has been boiled thoroughly it is strained, the strained oil being 
that usually eaten or sold to firms for export. The residue of dirt 
and pieces of fibre is used as an illuminant in the native lamps. The 
nuts are placed in the sun to dry for two or three months, after which 
they are cracked with a stone or a piece of iron and the kernels 
collected in boxes or bags for sale. The fibre in the washing trough 
is thoroughly squeezed by hand and all oil extracted. The water is 
let out of the trough gradually, and all oil collected from the sides 
of it. It is also washed down with water to collect the more adhesive 
particles. Even so, there is a large percentage of waste. An oil is 
also made from the kernels by heating them in an iron vessel over 
a fire. This oil is used for the skin or for wounds. 
In the ordinary way oil palms are not planted, though in moving 
to a new area where farms have not been made before the natives 
take oil-palm fruit with them, which get scattered as nuts; these 
germinate and form the nucleus of a group of oil palms in that locality. 
Considering the large population and its increasing need for the oil, 
the planting of oil palms appears to be remunerative. 
Palm Wine-tree (Raphia vinifera) is used very largely where it is 
found in the extensive forests near the rivers and sea coast in swampy 
places. Piassava fibre is obtained from this source, but so far has 
not been used in Sierra Leone for this purpose, whereas in the neigh- 
bouring country some of the best piassava is obtained. The people 
are, however, otherwise occupied, so that until there is a greater 
population it is unlikely that this industry will be taken up. The 
approximate area of wine palms is 3,000 square miles in various parts 
of the whole country. Some of the best areas are found on the banks 
