90 PULPING AND PREPARING. 



effected in long distances, by running them with water 

 down galvanized iron spouting, made in 8-inch lengths, 

 laid with even gradients and curves duly secured. The 

 berries are then despatched from the cisterns, to which a 

 due proportion of water has been admitted, provision 

 being made for collecting and utilizing the latter at the 

 mills. 



The preparation of Coffee for market necessitates the 

 erection of extensive buildings and machinery on large 

 estates, for which no specific plans can be given, because 

 much depends upon the size and situation of the estate, 

 and as much upon the kind and degree of the prepara- 

 tion contemplated. But the site selected for the works 

 should be as near the centre of the plantation as is com- 

 patible with securing a patch of open, airy ground to 

 v/hich a good stream of water can be brought. The first 

 requisite building should be the " pulping-house," com- 

 prising three floors the berry loft, the pulping platform 

 and the cistern floor and whenever possible it should be 

 built against a shallow cliff or embankment, so that the 

 berry coffee may be delivered into the loft without being 

 hauled upstairs by hand, while the berry loft is usually 

 placed immediately over the pulping platform. 



The operation known as " pulping " consists in'clearing 

 the coffee " beans " from the pulp in which they are 

 enveloped, which with ripe berries is most easily and 

 effectively accomplished immediately after picking, efforts 

 being usually made to complete the pulping of a day's 

 picking during -the same evening. If over-ripe or 

 shriveled, but still comparatively moist inside, the berries 

 should first be soaked in water for a few hours previous. 

 A number of machines have been invented for this 



