39 
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. 125). 9 
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, helped up in stone troughs and 
beaten with sticks till the fibre is l&ose. 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 
everv 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 t 
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 scha flicker Committee, of 
1,500 marks, which seems to do its work very well {Revue Cult. 
Coloniales 1904, p. 56). * , • 0 
Palm-Kernels. Thjs seeds of the oil-palrfi*also produce an oil 
of value, and it can be obtained from the fruif 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 the 
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 
oil 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. 
The remains of the pounded nuts are removed from the fire 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 
is skimmed off and boiled. Of course, however, the oil would be 
’to 
