TEE AFRICAN OIL PALM. 



247 



It has been estimated by competent authorities that from the 

 50,000 tons of palm oil shipped there must be 10,000,000 bushels of 

 kernels, equal to 223,000 tons in weight. The average yield from 

 these kernels being about 30 per cent., if all were utilized this would 

 furnish 76,000 tons more of oil, worth at the price of cocoanut oil 

 (which it closely resembles) about 2,700,000?. If we add to this the 

 value of the oilcake, 112,000 tons at 61. per ton, we should have a 

 very large increase to the value of the oil-palm trade with Western 

 Africa. 



Palm-nut oil is obtained on the coast from the seed or kernel, 

 by roasting, beating, and boiling. In Liberia, on a small scale, a 

 bushel of kernels was found to yield two gallons of oil, but with good 

 presses a very much larger yield than this is obtained. 



The palm kernels are quoted in London, January, 1877, at 121. 10s. 

 to 11/. per ton. The kernel, which is nearly white, is covered by a 

 thin brownish layer of woody fibre, and in consequence of this the palm- 

 nut meal has a light-brown or dirt-coloured appearance. The size of 

 the kernels varies from that of a hazel nut to that of a small pigeon's 

 egg. They are very hard, nearly inodorous, rather insipid to the 

 taste, and extremely rich in fatty matter, possessing the consistency of 

 butter, with the useful property of not readily tui'ning rancid. The 

 extraction of the oil necessitates tlie reduction of the kernels into a 

 tolerably fine powder, and the application of powerful crushing 

 machinery and gentle heat. Notwithstanding these means, the cake 

 or meal left in presses contains usually a larger proportion of fat than 

 is found in most other kinds of oilcake. It surpasses all other articles 

 of cattle food in its theoretical value as a fat producer, as the fol- 

 lowing analysis by Dr. Voelcker will show. In the best linseed 

 cake the percentage of oil rarely amounts to 12 per cent., indeed 

 10 per cent, may be taken as a fair average : 



Moisture 7-49 



Fatty matters 26 '57 



Albuminous compounds * (flesh-forming matters) . . 15-75 



Starch, mucihige, sugar, and digestible fibre 37*89 



Woody fibre (ceUulose) 8-40 



Mineral matters (ash) 3-90 



Total 100- 



* Containing nitrogen, 2 '52. 



In' 1863 the palm-kernel trade, then newly introduced, furnished 

 2665 tons of kernels from Lagos. The progress that has been made 

 since is shown by the following figures : 





Tons. 





Tons. 



1SG5 ,. . 



,. 2,631 



1870 



, ., 15,894 



1866 , . . 



. 7,216 



1871 , 





1867 .. . 



. .. 13,619 



1872 , , 



, ,, 16,870 







1873 



16,410 



1869 .. . 



, 20,394 



1874 . . . 



. 25,192 



The value of the palm kernels now shipped from this single port 

 averages nearly 300,000Z., or double that of the palm oil ; and of 

 those shipped from the Gold Coast in the two years ending 1870 was 



