and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— June, 1912. 



555 



COPRA DHYING METHODS. 



In Ceylon and S \moa. 



The correspondence which we published in 

 our last number on the subject of Copra Drying 

 methods is here continued. 



Kandavvala Mills, Negombo, May 14th. 



Dear Sik, — All coconut desiccators are aware 

 of the comparatively low outturn of desiccated 

 ooconut as compared with the outturn of copra 

 from the same number of nuts of equal quality; 

 for instance, from 100 lb. of fresh kernel I ob- 

 tained 48§ lb. of desiccated and dried parings 

 and from the same weight of kernel I ob- 

 tained f>8£ lb. of well sun-dried copra. Allowing 

 § lb. less through wastage in desiccating and 

 loss of milk while washing the kernels, there is 

 a difference of about 8£ lb. in favour of copra 

 out of 100 lb. of fresh kernels. The only explana- 

 tion for this loss can be that it is caused by the 

 cocoDut rapid drying of the desiccated through 

 greater heat being employed, about 200 deg., and 

 the extremely rapid current of hot air passed 

 through the grated coconut in the desiccators. 

 A less rapid current of air and a lower tem- 

 perature would be detrimental to the flavor 

 and keeping quality of the finished article. 



Now for the bearing of this on the drying 

 of copra. As the process of desiccating grated 

 nuts occupies only about 20 minutes it ought 

 to be possible to dry copra very much more 

 rapidly than by sun-drying (which takes 

 5 days) or grill drying methods (which takes 

 about 3 days). But will it be economical 

 to do so— and will the rapid drying not be done 

 at the expense of weight and tho loss of oil 

 (the most valuable ingredient) in the copra? 



I constructed a drying house with brick 

 heating flues which turned out paper-white 

 copra in lees than 24 hours, but I soon discon- 

 tinued the process as my copra buyers (native 

 oil millers) reported an enormous loss in the 

 percentage of oil, and I found out myself that it 

 took a disproportionately larger number of nuts 

 to the candy of copra. 



I was not able to control the temperature in 

 the drying room as I pleased. The most suc- 

 cessful native copra-drier I know boasts of being 

 able to turn out the best white copra by grill 

 diying and using 6 to 8 per cent less nuts, but 

 he takes 5 days and nights to finish drying hia 

 copra. His method is continuous day and night 

 drying at a comparatively low temperature, firing 

 only one continuous row or rope of shells, while 

 firing 3 or 4 rows with occasional letting down 

 the heat for hours is the general rule. And my 

 friend believes it more economical to dry by 

 his method than by sun-drying. 



Those who have on my advice adopted 

 this plan of slow drying confirm my friend's 

 experience. 



I incline to the belief that a continuous slow 

 current of air at about 130-140 (the exact tem- 

 po: ature should be a matter to be determined 

 by experiments) will dry copra perhaps in about 

 three days and nights with the least amount of 

 raw kernel per candy of dried copra and with 

 the least loss of oil to the copra. A rapid drying 

 in ten hours must be attended with enormous 

 loss of oil and take about 15% more kernel. 



JOHN D. VANDERSTRAATEN. 



IThe above has elicited an interesting com- 

 munication from our correspondent, " B.", 

 who describes the Samoan system of copra 

 drying, one which is performed in the short 

 space of 24 hours and which evidently needs 

 continuous attention. Mr. Vanderstraaten's 

 surprise at the disparity between the outturn 

 of desiccated nut and copra from equally heavy 

 kernels is explained by"B." and he gives 

 further recommendations as to length of time 

 required for sun drying and artificial drying, 

 in order to make the comparisons just. In con- 

 clusion he mentions one or two points from 

 which further elucidation from Mr. Vander- 

 straaten would be welcome.] 



THE SAMOaN METHOD. 



Negombo, May 21st. 

 Deak Sik, — I had not the time before now to 

 offer a few remarks on Mr. Vanderstraaten's 

 letter on the above subject. 



If it will interest Mr. V. and others interested 

 in copra drying, I will attempt to describe the 

 Samoan system as far as I remember it. The 

 " plan " given me was a rough sketch on a sheet 

 of paper and was drawn in my office. 



The nuts in Samoa are collected off the 

 ground. They are split open with a hatchet 

 in the husk as at Batticaloa. "Boys." i.e. 

 coolies, are tasked at 500 lb. a day, to remove 

 the kernels with knives in bits. The drying- 

 room is heated with flues, somewhat after the 

 manner of Mr. V.'s drying-room. The fur- 

 nace is outside. The drying-room has three 

 layers of trays. Flues pass between each layer 

 of trays. The lowest flue, which is in com- 

 munication with the furnace, is of masonry. 

 The other flues are of sheet-iron. As drying 

 goes on, the lowest lot of trays are pulled out 

 and placed on the top, and the top layer at 

 the bottom. Narrow openings at the back of 

 the room, between each layer of traye, let in 



