74 The Cultivation and Preparation of Coffee 



to the busker, a few grains from the middle of 

 the rotating drum should be taken and husked 

 between the palms of the hands, or by means of 

 a sample busker; and by looking at both 

 extremities, if one finds two dark points, which 

 denote dampness, this indicates that the coffee 

 is not ready to come out. These dark points 

 will gradually disappear, but before one of them 

 actually does, and when there is still a faint 

 appearance of that point, the coffee is ready to 

 come out of the drying machine. Coffee should 

 not be over-dried; this would mean wastage, 

 and consequently loss. The usual loss in 

 weight in drying is 40 per cent., estimating 

 from coffee which has been allowed to drain 

 off before putting into the dryer. 



It is a mistake to peel and polish coffee 

 directly it comes out of the dryer. I have found 

 that by allowing the coffee to remain unshelled 

 for at least four hours in a dry place a better 

 appearance is observed when peeling and 

 polishing. 



It is also a good policy to reduce the 

 temperature of the air in the heater when the 

 drying operation is about two or three hours 

 from the finish. In some plantations the heat 

 is reduced to nil; in fact, the fan is run for 

 about 1J hours simply circulating cold air, and 

 as I am referring to the action of heat and the 



