vii FERMENTATION AND DRYING 231 



that "a well-directed fermentation seldom demands 

 more than three days to attain the desired stage," it 

 appears that on the best estates, where the highest 

 priced products are obtained, a longer fermentation is 

 considered to be preferable. Hart even advises a nine 

 days' fermentation. Drying is done on large drying- 

 floors of cement, and on floors of wood provided with 

 movable roofs. Sometimes artificial heat is used, by 

 means .of pipes with hot air or hot water running under 

 the wooden drying-floors, making it possible to dry on 

 the same spot either by means of the heat of the sun 

 or artificially. The " dancing" method is often used to 

 clean and polish the seeds, but this may safely be omitted 

 when the fermentation has been carried out carefully 

 and long enough. 



Venezuela. In the west of Venezuela (the coastal 

 district between La Guayra and Puerto Cabello, the 

 district west of Puerto Cabello, and the district south 

 from the lake of Valencia), where the very fine " Caracas " 

 cocoa is produced, a very short fermentation is given. 

 The cocoa is first spread out and left to dry for one day ; 

 it is then allowed to ferment for one day, either in a heap 

 or in a " sweating " box, and the third day it is spread out 

 for the final drying. In this comparatively dry country 

 the old-fashioned drying-floors, made of bricks covered 

 with cement, are still in use. Movable roofs are rare, 

 and artificial heat is never used. " Staining " by means 

 of red earth is customary. 



Ceylon. The short and clear description of fermenta- 

 tion given by Wright l may be quoted : 



In Ceylon most cacao-planters adopt what may be termed the 

 natural method of fermenting, which consists in heaping the fresh 

 seeds on the floor or in receptacles and covering them with leaves 

 of the banana, or ordinary cloth, or layers of these alternating 

 with layers of earth. The fermenting floor is usually built with 

 a slope, so that the watery products may escape during fermen- 

 tation. Each heap may consist of four or more bushels of fresh 

 seeds, which are turned over every day. A period of thirty-six 

 hours to five days or even longer is allowed for fermentation. 



1 Wright, Cocoa, p. 109. 



