198 The Fermentation of Cacao 



additional help to drying and an insurance 

 against the " weathering " of cacao during rush 

 of crop and very wet weather. It is unneces- 

 sary to use it more than two or three months 

 in the year and then seldom in the day time, but 

 generally between the hours of 4 p.m. and 

 10 p.m. The tray flooring consists of copper 

 wire mesh with i in. apertures supported by 

 wooden battens, and the hot air chamber is 

 principally used for drying cacao quickly after 

 polishing, thus retaining its gloss and attrac- 

 tiveness. Its recommendation lies principally 

 in the fact that the two tiers adapted to hot air 

 drying are quite as capable of taking advantage 

 of sun heat and wind evaporation as the 

 remaining four tiers of the "boucan," and the 

 change to hot air drying is effected without 

 shifting the contents of the eight trays. This 

 factor, allied to the small cost entailed in the 

 arrangement, constitutes its advantage and 

 economy. The trays each measure 1 2 ft. by 

 6 ft. Two men are employed in the evenings 

 to tend the stove and turn the driving-wheel 

 of the fan at a cost of 6d. each. Three to four 

 cords of firewood prove sufficient to deal with 

 100 bags or more of cacao. In the morning it 

 is usual to find the cacao quite warm, although 

 fan and stove operations have been suspended 

 since 10 p.m. The maximum heat advocated is 

 130 F., but usually 1 10 will be found sufficient. 

 I do not advocate this scheme as by any 

 means a perfect one, but it is economical to 



