Kapok

By “Amel”

EVERY year, about September, the kapok ripens in Rbtiuna. Hundreds of ♦pods, on each sparsely-foliaged tree, grow fuller and fuller, finally becoming brown and at last bursting in the hot sunshine.

When the pods are allowed to remain on the trees until this stage is reached, it is difficult to recapture the masses of fluffy kapok which go drifting away on the breeze to tangle themselves in the nearest trees. The pods should really be plucked just as they are turning brown and then put out in the sun each day until dry and crisp. The kapok is then removed from the pods, and the seeds are removed from the kapok; and that is where all the fun begins.

A Suva friend having asked for 100 lb. of kapok, we thought we would be noble and assist in the picking and cleaning of this apparently infinitesmal quantity.

Our share was a basket of pods weighing 35 lb.; and for four evenings we had a session of picking pods.

It was a pleasant pastime, right up to the last pod. We couldn’t tear ourselves away from them. Each evening, instead of going for our usual stroll, we plunged into those pods. We de-seeded kapok pods until our -fingers grew expert and our eyes bulged. There were about 200 pods, and each pod contained about 200 black seeds, each the size of a small pea, so by the time we had reached the 200th pod and the 40,000 th seed, we had black spots before our eyes.

Tom kept muttering things, such as: “There must be a machine for doing this.

What's it worth? One and sixpence a pound? Slavery! Should make Bill (the Suva friend) take a six months’ holiday at Rotuma and pluck his own kapok!

Wonder how much kapok we’ll get from this basket of pods? ... A fair bit, I should think.”

We were soon enlightened. The last seed was thrown out, our backs straight ened, our eyes ceased to bulge and, beside us, was a mound of beautiful kapok.

Tom took it away to weigh it. He

returned with dejected mien, “What,” I inquired, “is the magnificent result of our nights of moil and toil?”

“We have earned eightpence,” he replied. “It weighed a little less than half a pound!”