THE SUPPLEMENT TO THE 



Tropical Agriculturist and Magazine of the G. A. 8. 



. - ■■■ 1 1 ,- - - - ,s 



No. 5.] NOVEMBER, 1912. [Vol. XI. 



THE MANUFACTURE OF COPRA. 



METHODS AND DRYING HOUSES. 



Translated from the German for the " Tropical 

 Agriculturist" by J. J. Dennehy, Esg. 



The kernel of the coconut is converted into 

 copra by being dried in the sun or in arti- 

 ficial heat. The manufacture of copra by 

 drying the kernel in the sun is the most 

 primitive method of treatment, although good 

 results can in this way be achieved in a strong 

 sun and by the application of sufficient care. 

 The season of the year has of course a very 

 important bearing on the quality of copra 

 and satisfactory results can be achieved only 

 in the hottest and driest months. In countries 

 where the rainfall is almost evenly distributed 

 all the year round the sun-drying process is 

 necessarily attended with serious difficulties. 



Under normal weather-conditions, in the 

 absence of rain and dense clouds, the drying 

 process lasts some four or five days, provided, 

 of course, that only fully ripe nuts are manu- 

 factured as they contain less moisture in the 

 kernel than unripe ones. The longer the 

 process of drying lasts and the more difficult 

 it is to get rid of the moisture, the greater 

 is the danger arising from the formation of 

 mildew and from the consequent depreciation 

 in the value of the copra. The total evapo- 

 ration of the water existing in the kernel 

 never takes place and 9 per cent of moisture 

 is generally to be reckoned with. This moi- 

 sture is always conducive to the formation of 

 mildew in the copra when left exposed for 

 a long period in places having a normal 

 temperature. 



In the method under treatment the nuts 

 are, to begin with, placed in the sun in single 



si 



layers, immediately after being opened. Spe- 

 cial emphasis must be laid upon the necessity 

 for drying the nuts in single layers only. Atten- 

 tion, too, must be paid to removing fully all 

 milk. As the nuts on being spread out to dry 

 after being opened are still contained in the 

 fragments of the inner shell, moisture may 

 easily collect in the bottom of the frag- 

 ments. Unless this be removed the drying 

 process is delayed and there is formed a 

 glutinous sticky substance which settles in 

 the bottom of the nut, serves as a receptacle 

 for dirt and thereby brings about a deterior- 

 ation in the quality of the copra. 



As it is most important to hasten on the pro- 

 cess of drying as much as possible and to do 

 the utmost to get the surface of the kernel dried 

 on the first day, no nut should be opened after 

 11 a.m. The kernel should be most carefully 

 protected against rain and dew both during and 

 after the process of drying. Every drop of 

 water that falls on the surface of the kernel has 

 a prejudicial effect on the uniform colour of 

 the copra even when it does not lead to the 

 formation of mildew. When the moisture on 

 the surface of the nut has evaporated and when 

 the latter becomes so dry that extraneous bodies 

 cannot easily cling thereto, the kernels are re- 

 moved from their husks. Here again all contact 

 with dirt must be carefully avoided. In New 

 Guinea the contents of the shell are removed 

 immediately after opening the nut. As, how- 

 ever, at this particular juncture the kernel still 

 clings fast to the shell, the resultant cutting 

 away and forcing of the copra therefrom with 

 a blunt knife require a greater expenditure or 

 time than when the copra is removed immedi- 

 ately after drying the surface. 



To b9 dried in the most advantageous way 

 the spliced nuts are placed on wire trays arranged 

 somewhat as follows 



