FERMENTATION AND DRYING 203 



beans have been for twenty-four hours in the box, and 

 the time has come to turn them over into the next one. 

 But 50 ~ C. is about the maximum temperature. 



This rise of temperature is accompanied by de- 

 composition of the pulpy mass which surrounds the 

 seeds ; during the fermentation it develops a strong 



A 



6 ft Front side 



Loose boards 



B 



9ft, 



FIG. 67. Sketch of the arrangement of fermenting house and fermenting boxes, 

 as used in Surinam. 



A, Fermenting boxes seen from above : there is a little space between every two boxes. 



B, Fermenting boxes, front view. 



C, Vertical section of a fermenting house with one row of boxes. 



odour of vinegar and becomes more liquid, gradually 

 flowing away as a vinegar -smelling fluid. To allow 

 these products of the decomposition of the pulp to flow 

 away freely, the bottoms of the boxes are perforated 

 and are raised a little off the cemented floor of the 

 fermenting room. This floor, again, is slightly inclined 

 towards a gutter, along which the " cocoa- vinegar," as 

 the planters in Surinam call this fluid, flows away. 



