oil comes to the surface, when it is collected and boiled to get rid 

 of the water {Simmons Tropical Agriculture). 



In Togo the fruit is trodden out in a wooden trough (Tropen 

 Pflanzer 1899, P- I2 5)- 



On the Gold Coast when the nuts are ripe they are cut and 

 thrown into pits till a sufficient quantity is obtained to make oil. 

 During this time they undergo a small amount of fermentation and 

 the produce is known as "hard" oil, the fresh nuts giving a "soft" 

 oil which is more highly valued in European markets. The nuts 

 are then boiled to soften the fibre, heaped up in stone troughs and 

 beaten with sticks till the fibre is loose. The heap of nuts is then 

 covered with plantain leaves and left for twelve hours when great 

 heat is developed and a quantity of oil runs off. The nuts are then 

 washed in hot water, and the fibre separated and squeezed by hand. 

 The oil is then boiled to separate the water (W. F. HUTCHINSON in 

 Kew Bulletin 1891, p. 190). 



As is pointed out in the above article, the process is defective in 

 every stage the nuts should be treated fresh and when just ripe, and 

 should not be allowed to ferment as this darkens the colour of the 

 oil and causes it to harden. The separation of the fibre by beating 

 and hand squeezing is slow and imperfect, and machinery and 

 hydraulic presses should be used. A quantity of the oil, 25 per cent 

 is lost, by the imperfections of the method and the final boiling of 

 the oil darkens it. 



Owing to the great export of the oil from Africa, however, 

 machines have been invented for decorticating the kernels and pres- 

 sing out the oil ; one of which invented by the firm Haake of Berlin, 

 won a prize offered by the Kolonial Wirt M h,; f tidier Committee, of 

 1,500 marks, which seems to do its work very well {Revue Cult. 

 Coloniales 1904, p. 56). 



Palm-Kernels. The seeds of the oil-palm also produce an oil 

 of value, and it can be obtained from the fruit of which the palm-oil 

 of the fleshy covering has been removed and from seeds picked up, 

 fallen beneath the trees. The kernels are hard and woody, and 

 require to be dried thoroughly in the sun, and shipped home as 

 palm kernels. 



To make oil from them locally the native pounds and grinds ihe 

 kernels very fine. They are then put in cold water and stirred by 

 hand, the oil rises in white lumps to the surface, is collected and 

 boiled. It is of a light straw color, but exposed to sun and dew 

 becomes white. This gives white kernel oil. Brown or black kernel 

 od is made by frying the kernels in a pan and pounding them in a 

 wooden mortar and then they are finely ground, then thrown into 

 boiling water when the oil floats on the surface and is skimmed off . 

 ihe remains of the pounded nuts are removed from the lire and 

 spread out in a bowl to cool, ground again and beaten by hand with 

 a little water, till the oil comes out in small pellets; when this is seen 

 a large quantity of water is added and the oil floats on the top. It 

 >s skimmed off and boiled. Of course, however, the oil would be 



