66 COCOA AND CHOCOLATE 



loaded, then is the time to put on his mettle the ener- 

 getic and practical planter. In such tight corners, amigo, 

 I have known a friend to set a fire under his cocoa 

 house to keep the cocoa on the top somewhat warm. 

 Another friend's plan (and he recommended it) was to 

 address his patron saint on such occasions. He never 

 addressed that saint at other times." 



In most producing areas sun-drving is preferred, 

 but in countries where much rain falls, artificial dryers 

 are slowly but surely coming into vogue. These vary 

 in pattern from simple heated rooms, with shelves, to 

 vacuum stoves and revolving drums. The sellers of 

 these machines will agree with me when I say that 

 every progressive planter ought to have one of these 

 artificial aids to use during those depressing periods 

 when the rain continually streams from the sky. On 

 fine days it is difficult to prevent mildew appearing on 

 the cacao, but at such times it is impossible. However, 

 whenever available, the sun's heat is preferable, for it 

 encourages a slow and even drying, which lasts over 

 3. period of about three days. As Dr. Paul Preuss says : 



' II faut eviter une dessiccation trop rapide. Le cacao 

 ne peut etre seche en moins de trois jours."* Further, 

 most observers agree with Dr. Sack that the valuable 

 changes, which occur during fermentation, continue dur- 

 ing drying, especially those in which oxygen assists. The 

 full advantage of these is lost if the temperature used 

 is high enough to kill the enzymes, or if the drying is too 

 rapid, both of which may occur with artificial drying. 

 Sun-drying is done on cement or brick floors, on 

 coir mats or trays, or on wooden platforms. In order 

 to dry the cacao uniformly it is raked over and over 

 in the sun. It must be tenderly treated, carefully 



' watched and caressed," until the interior becomes 

 quite crisp and in colour a beautiful brown. 



Sometimes the platforms are built on the top of the 

 fermentaries, the cacao being conveyed through a hole 

 in the roof of the fermentary to the drying platform. 



* Dr. Paul Preuss, Le cacao. Culture et Preparation. 



