Dec. I, 1897 . J 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
413 
apt to engender a sticky substance which may in- 
duce mildew before the sun rises next day and 
present a sorry appearance in juxtaposition with the 
better dried kernels. 
The kernels should be placed in long narrow heaps 
about 8 inches deep and covered with oadjans before 
ii'ghtfall so as to prevent the dew getting on them, 
as any watery interference with the oleaginous sur- 
face is most detrimental to the unique colour of the 
copra. These heaps should next day be spread out 
again in the sun, as at first, and so on till perfectly dry. 
Kernels dried on sandy soil dry quicker than those 
on ordinary hard ground, as the heat of the sand 
at the bottom is intenser than that of common earth, 
and helps to dry the kernel faster. A white colour 
is produced by hard bleaching. 
When the kernels are well dried (which can be ascer- 
tained by a sharp snapping sound they make when 
doubled and pressed in the fist and by an even 
leaden hue perceptible in the broken portion where 
the escaping oil stains the outer surface) they should 
not be allowed to sweat too long in heaps. The 
sooner they are despatched to the mill the better for 
the oil they are expected to yield. Mildew forms thickly 
and rapidly and is most prejudicial to the making of 
a colourle.ss oil ; but with a nice, even, snow-white 
inner surface and a thoroughly suudried kernel, I don’t 
see why good colourless oil should not be made in Ceylon 
equal to ihat of Cochin, provided no other copra of 
inferior quality is mixed with the good lot ciushed. 
The heterogeneous mixing of all kinds of copra in 
the mills is a great evil. If good, bad and indifferent 
are all crushed together it is impossible to get any 
other than the amber coloured oil now in vogue, 
which, when congealed, gives a palish yellow' hue 
instead of alabaster white. The excess of stearine in 
Cochin oil, which makes it preferable for candle- 
making purposes, is, I suspect, due to the excellence 
of tlie nut and not to the superiority of the soil — an 
excellence attained by full maturity and a regular 
system of manuring the trees— for the soil of the 
west and north-west coast of Ceylon compares favour- 
ably with any soil in the world as a feeding ground 
for the coconut peJm. 
3. As regards the time when copra should be made 
I am convinced that the hottest and driest season 
of the year before the advent of the south-west 
monsoon {i.e.. between January and June) is the best, 
because it is the most reliable for heat and rainless 
days. Copra, to bo white, .should have no interruption 
in the proce-s of dryage, save that of the night. It 
should run no risk — no heat but sun-heat being use'l. 
If it has to be transferred from the drying-ground 
to be finished off over the “ Attoowa ” fire in the 
event of clouds or rain intervening, then good-bye to 
the hope of making a pure white copra. The smoke 
of the coconut shell fire soon leaves its tell-tale 
mark on the inner surface and a browned, if not 
partially blackened, copra is the result. If the heat 
brought to hear on the keniels is not unique and 
continuous, a browni!3h tint is observable on the 
borders and this tint is bound to tarnish the oil 
expressed therefrom. Shuuld rain-drops find their 
way to the copra whilst drying a spotted and motley 
appearance ensues and these spots of many colours, 
in the development cf mildew, can never berenioved, 
iro matter how severely they may be subsequently 
dried. Undoubtedly the colour of the oil is affected 
by these accidents. Bain and dew are the enemies 
of copra and should he carefully guarded against. 
In Ceylon copra is made all the year round and 
plays at hide and seek with all weathers and conse- 
quently much damage accrues ; but given a good season 
of the year, a well matured nut, thorough cleanli- 
ness of inauipnlation in a powerful sun and careful 
handling in the mill, and it would be hard lines 
indeed if we conld not compete with Cochin. 
Good white copra has been turned out from heating 
rooms, so well constructed as to be impervious to 
smoke arrd maintaining an equable temperature regu- 
lated by a thermometer. The heating room, if in good 
order, makes one irrdependent of the weather, and 
if it involve no risk, should be resorted to by all 
proprietors of estates who turn their nuts into copra, 
Nov. 6 . 
{Answer by an Old Coconut Planter No. VIII. 
Nov. 8, 1897. 
Pew parts, of the coconut districts of Ceylon, enjoy 
suliicient sunshine at all seasons, to dry copra with* 
out more or less damage. These unfavourable climatic 
conditions, are not the only causes of injury to this 
product, as it is usual to sell the nuts on the spot, to 
middlemen, who make a trade of it, and probably, 
three fourths of the crops of the Island, pass through 
their hands. It is of course their business to mak# 
as much profit as possible on (heir ti ansactions, and 
as a large proportion of the original weight is mois- 
ture, it is an object to get it to market, with the 
greater part of the moisture retained. It is therefore 
put into a rude kiln after a few hours in the sun, not 
to dry, but to be smoked which prevents mould and 
rot from setting in at once. Thus most of the copra 
brought to market, is discoloured with smoke, and 
contains at least 50 per cent of its original moisture. 
The large buyers, therefore regulate the price accord- 
ing to the average quality, the only distinction being 
boat and cart copra. This seems rather a curious 
method of arranging prices, but there is some reason 
in it; boat copra comes chiefly from the dry climate, 
to the north of the Mahaoya, v\here the drying pro- 
cess is less liable to be interrupted by rain, and if only 
half dry, vshui put into the boat, the drying goes 
on during the voyage often days or a fortnight, and, 
it is peifectly dry when it arrives in Colombo. On 
the other hand, the cart copra is collected from the 
country round Colombo, within a distance of say thirty 
miles, and consists of the smoked article of the traders, 
and the still more carelessly prepared produce of the 
villagers. I do not know whether any change has 
taken place, since I was familiar with the working of 
the oil mills, but then all copra that came in, was 
thrown in one heap, and taken to the stores as it came 
to hand. This produced a dark-coloured article which 
is still — I believe — the character of all Ceylon oil, and 
so it mast continue, so long as the bulk of the copra 
comes through the trader and the villager. 
Perfectly ripe nuts, cleanly and thoroughly dried, 
consists of 66 per cent oil, and of poomic 34 per cent. 
The checku cannot extract more than 60 to 63 per 
cent of oil, but the grinding stones and hydraulic press 
can do mote with the same material ; but with the com- 
mon quality of the copra delivered at the mills the 
yield must he much less. Perfectly clean and dry 
copra yields an oil, that in a glass, Iseside another of 
spring water, the eye cannot diatii'guish a difference. 
Whether Cochin oil ia intrinsically superior to the 
produce of Ceylou, is aqueslion for the chemist to 
decide ; but there can be no doubt that clean colour 
less oil, would command a higher price in the markets 
of Europe and America, than the smoke-stained 
article now supplied. There is not however the least 
hope, that the trader and the villager, will spontan- 
eou-sly improve their methods, and the mill owners 
probably make more profit on the existing system than 
they would do by a superior arCole. 
The only hope of raising the quality of Ceylou oil, 
lies with the Europeans who are going in for coconut 
cultivation, which they may do, by rendering them- 
selves independent of the nut dealer, and the mail 
owner. It has been done before, and can be done 
again on the same or improved lines. A coconut 
estate planted in 1840 about 200 acres, owned by a 
non-resident European, manufactured all its copra 
on the spot, for over twenty years, with very satis- 
factory results. This was done by checkus ; but a 
proprerty of 500 acres, could afford to have its own 
mill, or several neighbouring properties might join in 
it convenient ; at all events in a coconut distiict, nuts 
to k ep the mill going could always be purchased, at 
current rales. Every coconut estate should have an 
apparatus, for artificial drying. Without tliat, no one 
can prevent copra all the year round, from getting 
mouldy and sjroctcd. A sirocco would do first-rate; 
but there are cheaper means of attaitnng the end in 
view ; an> thing will do that carries the heat without 
the smoke, say a sheet iron platform, with a tire of 
dry coconut husk, five feet lower giving out heat with- 
out flame, and raising the temperature of the chamber 
