Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe 129 



rise of temperature takes place. After being 

 dried the bean is separated from its parchment- 

 like covering and any of the dried pulp (FleiscK) 

 that may still be adhering to it. This process is 

 at least the one I saw used on Boa Entrada 

 plantation, where the coffee was of very good 

 quality. On beans that had been stored for 

 a longer period I found the spots already 

 referred to on isolated beans, and I attribute 

 their presence to damage done to the 

 parchment-like covering during the drying 

 process. 



By this method, as practised in San Thome, 

 the object of the treatment, though carried 

 out empirically, is to warm the partially dried 

 beans during the process of oxidation. As 

 results prove, a very good quality coffee may 

 be produced by these means. It is certainly 

 true that by the more modern method the 

 removal of the pulp immediately after gather- 

 ing a good result can be obtained more 

 rapidly and with greater certainty, so long as 

 acidification of the beans is avoided and the 

 oxygen of the air is allowed to act on them 

 for a sufficient length of time. As soon as 

 the acidification is too great i.e., if the acid 

 is allowed to penetrate the parchment-like 

 skin and attack the bean itself the coffee 

 will taste flat to the palate and the liquor has 

 no body, and if the oxidation process is not 

 carried sufficiently far, a harsh, bitter-tasting 

 coffee is obtained. 



9 



