CHAPTEK XII. 



DRYING COFFEE. 



IN countries like, for instance, the Eepublic 

 of Salvador in Central America, where they can 

 depend on the weather for drying, the wet 

 parchment coffee is spread in "patios," or 

 drying grounds. 



The construction of these drying grounds 

 necessitates, however, a considerable area of 

 ground. They have to be well made, and 

 finished with cement not liable to crack or 

 chip off. 



Now that there are some mechanical dryers, 

 however, which dry the coffee with such per- 

 fection that one is unable to distinguish the 

 natural from the artificial drying, coffee 

 planters are abandoning the drying grounds, 

 and, instead, installing drying machines ; there- 

 fore new planters do not have to allow for the 

 considerable initial expense in constructing 

 drying grounds. The Guardiola and Okrassa 

 Patent Coffee Dryers are, I may say, the only 

 two I know to give good results, particularly 

 the Okrassa latest design. This latter machine 

 is undoubtedly taking the leading place in the 

 market. The drying is most uniform, and the 

 machine is so simple that it is not liable to get 



