238 



that is the point where I find the greatest conflict of opinion. I 

 think all agree that the surface of the soil must be light, loose, 

 and free — nothing like a definite grass sod. There are some 

 places in Dominica where in cutting down into the soil, one finds 

 the conditions of natural virgin soil : the condition of tilth is 

 maintained thoroughly. The great point is draining. On that 

 subject I may have more to say at a future period. In Dominica 

 it is a recognised method of cultivation, a cheap one, and a very 

 thorough one, and I think it would be found better in practice, and 

 tend to solve some of those difficulties to which Mr. Fawcett has 

 referred, than keeping the soil absolutely clean. I have seen 

 many cases where attempts have been made to keep the land per- 

 fectly clean and where the highest perfection used to be the absence 

 of every weed ; but in most cases I think that has been found to be 

 most disastrous ; the soil bakes hard and then a system of forking 

 has to be resorted to. 



ARTIFICIAL DRYING OF COCOA. 



The desirability of drying cocoa by artificial heat, thereby ren- 

 dering the planter more or less independent of atmospheric conditions, 

 has long been realized in the West Indies. During wet seasons 

 and in certain elevated districts of some of the cocoa producing islands 

 considerable loss is frequently occasioned by ' mildew.' 



Mr. G. Whitfield Smith, then travelling Superintendent of the 

 Imperial Department of Agriculture, gave a brief sketch in the 

 West Indian Bulletin (Vol. II, pp. 171-4) of the efforts that had been 

 made in Grenada to dry cocoa by artificial heat, and gave, also a des- 

 cription of a cocoa drier since erected by the Department at the 

 Botanic Station, Dominica. A further description of this drier will 

 be found in the Agricultural News (Vol. I, p. 19) where it is 

 stated : — 



'The essential feature of this drier is the arrangement by which 

 the hot air, on entering the drying box, is conducted along an air- 

 tight fine or channel, and is (■(impelled to pass over and around the 

 trai/s in succession, beginning with the lowest. In this respect it is a 

 great improvement on driers of a similar pattern used in Grenada and 

 elsewhere, which have no interior divisions. In such driers it is 

 found that the hot air on entering the single drying chamber naturally 

 rises to the top. witli the result that the beans on the upper tray were 

 too quickly dried, while those in the lower tiers were only partially 

 dried or, in some cases, remained moist. 



'The drier above described i> capable of dealing with b bags of 

 cocoa at a time, and its original cost, including shed, stove, and fan, 

 was £1l'7. Where, however, the planter is able to utilize a spare 

 building in which to place the drying box and stove, the cost might 

 be reduced by about one half. 



'For the information of those desirous of erecting a similar drier, 

 it may be mentioned that the fan (18 inches) with bell and driving 

 wheel might be obtained from the Blackman Ventilating Company. 

 Limited. Head Office, 63, Fore Street, London E.C., at a dost of £9 • >■>., 

 and the stove (Motts' Comet No. 28) from the I. L. Mott Iron Works, 

 New York and Chicago, at a COSt fc of £10 17s. 3d. The latter is Mir- 



