Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe 109 



rain falling during- the process. The most 

 primitive method of drying is accomplished by 

 spreading the beans out on small trays which 

 are placed in the sun during the daytime, and 

 brought in under cover at night or when it 

 rains. In prolonged rainy weather the cacao 

 is sometimes placed on tin sheets or metal 

 plates (blechplatten) which are warmed by fire 

 placed underneath them, and is thus dried. 1 

 In the case of larger crops, this method would 

 waste too much time. Where sun-drying is 

 possible cement or stone floors in the open 

 air are used. This method is an extremely 

 practical one when continuously sunny weather 

 prevails, or, at the most, only passing showers 

 have to be avoided, but not when several 

 successive days of rain occur frequently. The 

 reasons why this is so I have given on p. 85. 



To avoid the injurious influence of rainy 

 weather, and still more, to avoid the beans 

 having to remain in heaps for prolonged 

 periods when only sjightly dried, large trays 

 were constructed to run on rails, capable of 

 being rapidly moved under cover when it 

 started to rain or at night. A further advance 

 was arrived at when arrangements were made 

 to place three or four trays one over the other. 

 In order that the drying process might be con- 

 tinued on these trays during continuously wet 

 weather, the shed was so constructed that the 



1 I cannot understand in such cases how the beans do 

 not- get scorched or burnt. H. H. S. 



