J96 COCOA 



Two labourers are required to attend to the drier while 

 it is in operation, one to turn the driving wheel and the 

 other to obtain fuel (firewood) to feed the furnace, and 

 to fill and empty the cylinders. The machine is quite 

 simple of manipulation, and after a very little practice it 

 was possible to obtain a fairly constant temperature of 

 100 C. It is not considered advisable to subject cocoa 

 to a higher temperature than this during the curing 

 process. 



When the cocoa was transferred direct from the 

 fermenting boxes to the drier, it was necessary for it to 

 remain there for fifteen hours before it was properly 

 dried; but by spreading the freshly fermented cocoa on 

 wooden trays to dry for half a day, before placing it in 

 the drier, this period was reduced by six hours. 



To test the period required for artificial and sun drying 

 respectively, freshly fermented cocoa was placed at the 

 same time in the drier and on wooden platforms. It was 

 found that it took fifteen hours and six days completely 

 to dry the cocoa in the drier and in the sun respectively. 

 It should be mentioned that the seeds in each case were 

 fermented for six days prior to being dried, and they 

 were not washed. 



The artificially dried cocoa has a stronger flavour than 

 that which is dried in the sun. It also has a greyish 

 bloom on the exterior, which does not improve its appear- 

 ance. This is attributed to a salt of aluminium, apparently 

 produced by the action of acid in the pulp surrounding 

 the freshly fermented seeds on the metal cylinder. The 

 surface of the seeds beneath the bloom is better polished 

 than in the case of the sun-dried product; this is caused 

 by the rotary movement to which the seeds are subjected 

 in the drier. 



The cost of drying 100 Ib. of freshly fermented cocoa 

 in the drier was 2s. 6d., i.e., two labourers for fifteen 

 hours at id. per hour each. Cocoa taken direct from 

 the fermenting boxes, and spread in the sun on wooden 

 platforms, was completely dried in six days. By the 

 latter method one labourer is capable of looking after 

 six times as much cocoa as it is possible to place at one 

 time in the drier. As a labourer's pay is gd. per day, it 



