Dr. A. Schulte im Hof e i 1 3 



dried very unevenly and the cost of fuel was 

 comparatively great. Probably it is for these 

 reasons that such drying-barns are not more 

 extensively used. 



In 1903 the method of drying the cacao 

 on heated stone platforms was introduced on 

 several plantations in San Thome. Heated 

 air from a furnace is conducted under a plat- 

 form 5 m. ( 1 6 ft.) long by 2m. (6 ft. 6 in.) wide, 

 made with the sides raised about 25 cm. (10 

 in.). The cacao is dried on these platforms 

 in fairly thick layers, being frequently turned 

 during the process. I have been unable to 

 find out any particulars as to the results 

 obtained by such a method. 



When in Fernando Po in 1899, I saw on 

 three of the plantations a primitive method 

 of drying by means of tunnels, 1 ro m. (32 ft. 

 9 in.) long by 2 m. (6 ft. 6 in.) wide, and 

 175 m. (5 ft. 9 in.) high. These were heated 

 by two pipes running along the floor through 

 which the heated air was conducted from a 

 furnace at one end of the tunnel. In each 

 side-wall there are ten doors, each i m. (3 ft. 

 3 in.) wide ; through each of these, eight trays 

 can be pushed and placed on ledges, one over 

 the other. The total area of the trays is 

 150 sq. m. (180 sq. yd.). Since there is but 

 very little circulation of air in these tunnels, 

 the distribution of heat is very unequal. The 



1 Some think the latest " tunnel " systems will be 

 freely adopted in the future. H. H. S. 



8 



