70 



The Philippine Journal of Science 



copra and its production of free acid. Copra dried until it con- 

 tained about 7 per cent water was inoculated with green mold and 

 placed in a closed container in a moist atmosphere with which 

 it was in equilibrium. After the mold had been allowed to grow 

 for a period of thirty days, the copra was removed and analyzed. 



Table X. — Oil loss due to the action of Penicillium glaucum (green mold) . 





1 

 Total oil. 



Weight 

 of copra. 







Before 

 mold 

 action. 



After 

 mold 

 action. 



, 



g. 



a. 



13.07 



7. 3192 



7. 3040 



14. 16 



7. 9296 



7.8823 



10.04 



5. 6224 



5. 5731 



13.34 



7. 4704 



7.4306 



After 

 Original. mold 

 action. 



P.ct. 



0.20 

 0.69 

 0.87 

 0.54 



P.ct. 



0.79 

 0.79 

 0.79 

 0.79 



P.et. 



1.2 

 1.0 

 0.9 

 0.76 



Table X shows that green mold growing under the most favor- 

 able conditions during one month causes an almost negligible loss 

 of oil and that the production of free acid is extremely low. 



At the end of the experiment the pieces of copra were covered 

 with a dense mass of green mold about 5.5 millimeters in thick- 

 ness, but when this was removed by brushing, the copra beneath 

 was firm and white with no evidence of penetration by the mold. 



SUMMARY OP OIL LOSS AND DETERIORATION CAUSED BY MOLDS 



Table XI, which summarizes the results secured in the ex- 

 periments upon oil loss and production of free acid, is included 

 in order more easily to compare the loss in quantity and injury 

 to the quality of the oil caused by the four principal molds oc- 

 curring upon copra. 



Table XI shows that the copra dealer may expect a loss of from 

 30 to 40 per cent upon all copra which contains sufficient water 

 to enable brown mold to grow; a further increase of the water 

 content makes very little difference, as brown mold will then 

 grow with black mold and raise the oil loss to that caused by 

 brown mold alone. The loss in quantity and quality of oil is 

 always in addition to the loss suffered by the purchase of water 

 at the price of copra. Where green mold alone is present, there 

 is little loss in oil. However, the presence of this mold indicates 

 a copra with a higher water content than where no mold is 

 present ; if such copra is stored where the air is in a practically 

 saturated condition, it will absorb enough water for brown mold 

 to attack it much sooner than will clean copra. 



