HARVESTING AND PREPARATION 63 



to have under their direction arrangements for fer- 

 mentation designed on correct principles and allowing 

 some degree of control. Whilst improvements are 

 always possible in the approach to perfection, it must 

 be admitted that, considering the means at their dis- 

 posal, the planters produce a remarkably fine product. 



FOR DRYING SMALL QUANTITIES. 



A simple tray- barrow, which can be run under the house 

 when rain comes on. 



Loss on Fermenting and Drying. 



The fermented cacao is conveyed from the ferment- 

 ary to the drying trays or floors. The planter often has 

 some rough check- weighing system. Thus, for ex- 

 ample, he notes the number of standard baskets of 

 wet cacao put into the fermentary, and he measures the 

 fermented cacao produced with the help of a bottom- 

 less barrel. By this means he finds that on fermentation 

 the beans lose weight by the draining away of the 

 " sweatings, " according to the amount and juiciness of 

 the pulp round them. The beans are still very wet, and 

 on drying lose a high percentage of their moisture by 

 evaporation before the cacao bean of commerce is 

 obtained. 



