163 



one broad and one deep, and is capable of holding ten piculs of 

 fresh seeds. They should be arranged in such a manner as to be 

 on the same level, in a row, and their number increased according 

 to requirements. When the seeds have been ten to twelve hours 

 in the upper trough they are transferred to the trough beneath, 

 this being easily done on account of the movable planks forming 

 the walls. When the cocoa in the upper chamber is to be put 

 below it is only necessary to raise the partition. Van der Held 

 obtained the best results by changing the receptacle twice a day 

 in order to avoid heating; this was done between seven and eight 

 in the morning and four and five in the afternoon. The bottom 

 of the chambers is perforated, the openings being half-a-centimetre 

 in diameter; these allow the liquid to flow away. A gutter is 

 fixed to the floor to conduct the liquids to a central point should it 

 be required for vinegar production. 



FERMENTATION IN THE WEST INDIES. 



In the Jamaica Bulletin for August, 1900, the following process 

 is described : — "Accumulate at least 500 pods before breaking ; 

 you will get better results by having larger quantities. A simple 

 box is made one foot deep and varying in length and width 

 according to the quantity of cocoa ; the contents of 1,000 pods 

 require a box 2 ft. 6 inches long, 2 ft. wide and I ft. deep (inside 

 measurements) and will fill such a box to a depth of 9 inches. It 

 must be constructed so that no iron nails come in contact with 

 }he cocoa, for iron is attacked by the "sweatings" forming a 

 black liquor which discolours the cocoa. The bottom of the box 

 is bored with many holes, and is raised from the ground on two 

 blocks of wood. It should be under cover and in a clean place 

 free from dust. No lid is required. After filling with cocoa, 

 cover with a piece of clean sacking. Each morning turn up the 

 whole mass with the hands ; the cocoa which was at the side and 

 bottom being now towards the centre. If the quantity is small, 

 turn out to dry on the fifth day, if larger (say over 2,000 pods) on 

 the sixth day, i.e., after five full days' " sweating." Scrub out the 

 box thoroughly, and wash and dry the sacking before beginning a 

 fresh batch. Thus by a short fermentation of a shallow mass, 

 with plentiful access of air you will get a better result's than by 

 keeping the mass closely packed together in a deeper vessel. The 

 close packing of the mass does not make it hotter ; on the con- 

 trary the more air reaches the mass, up to a certain limit, the hotter 

 the cocoa will become. As prices stand at present you will not find 

 it advisable to ferment for a longer time, but on the other hand I 

 cannot recommend you to shorten the time by a single day as 

 your cocoa would then retain too much of its original bitter 

 flavour." This method is interesting, but whether it is largely 

 adopted in Jamaica or elsewhere is not quite clear. 



FERMENTING COCOA IN TRINIDAD. 



The fermenting of the cocoa in Trinidad is, according to Preuss, 

 carried out on very much the same principle as in Surinam, 

 though fermenting houses in the former place are frequently only 

 protected by a roof to keep the rain off the boxes. Many methods 



