OIL PALM AND PALM KERNEL INDUSTRY 473 
seen going on in parts of the Afikpo, Owerri, Abakaliki, Onitsha, 
Ifon and Ibadan districts. It is a serious menace to the future 
development of the Oil Palm industry. 
6a. Native Mernop or CoLLectina Frurr.—The native, to collect. 
the fruit, climbs the tree with a specially made rope round his waist, 
by which he gradually hoists himself up. With a rough chisel, like a 
piece of iron with a handle, he first cuts off the leaf just above the fruit 
and then severs the bunch, letting it fall to the ground. Many of the 
fruits drop out in the transit, but these the native does not trouble 
to gather up. 
It is usual for the Chief to close the forest for a certain time until 
the Oil Palm fruit is more or less ripe, and then the natives can 
gather it all at the same time. Owing to the difference in 
the time of the ripening of the individual fruits at the top of the 
bunch and those at the base, many fall to the ground before the bunch 
is actually cut off the tree. These are not gathered up, and are taken 
away by rodents or birds, or come up in the same place. 
7. NativE METHOD oF Makina O1L AND KERNEL INSPECTION.— 
The native cracks the palm kernel almost entirely by hand, the nuts 
being first dried in the sun on the ground in open spaces, surrounded 
roughly with little billets of wood, or insmall sheds. When dry, they 
are taken out and cracked on rocks (if they happen to be in the neigh- 
bourhood) with a piece of stone in the cracker’s hand. Should the 
spot be devoid of rock, a piece of wood or stone takes its place, and 
then a piece of iron or stone is used by him in the right hand. Good 
workers, usually small girls or women, can crack about 15 to 20 Ib. 
a day in this manner. 
An inspection fee on palm kernels and oil has undoubtedly 
helped to improve the product immensely and not reduced the 
output. 
The kernels are picked out at the same time, the shell remaining 
more or less where the nut is cracked. A certain amount of shell 
adheres to the kernel, and if it is an excessive amount the native picks 
it off. Anyhow, when he reaches the factory the shell contents must 
not exceed 5 per cent. Although they are not actually dried, they 
are usually kept in a dry, cool place, until sufficient have been collected 
to sell either in the local market or straight to a European factory. 
The inspection of the palm produce, both oil and kernels, takes place 
at the factory, where the produce is bought by the Inspectors of 
Produce under the Customs Department. 
7a. Kinps oF O1rm.—Most of the oil is soft, but as some hard oil 
is made which is worth £3 or £4 less per ton than the former, owing 
to its having about 8 per cent. less of glycerine, and both are made by 
a different process, both methods will be described. 
Hard oil is made chiefly near Onitsha and Ikpa markets, east of 
