COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 303 



tioii. At the "hacienda" they are at once spread out 

 on the drying places, which are flat floors made with 

 a mixture of earth and sand and covered with split 

 bamboo (Figs. 102, 103). Cement floors are never 

 used. During the daytime the beans are left spread 

 out, and are turned over at frequent intervals, a work 

 done mostly by children. At sunset the beans are 

 gathered together into heaps and covered with banana 

 leaves, sail-cloth or some other light material. During 

 the night the cocoa ferments slightly in the heaps. 



FIG. 103. Drying floors, Ecuador. 



The next morning the cocoa is again spread out. 

 During the main crop the quantities are greater and 

 the heaps larger, and Preuss attributes the better quality 

 obtained from this main crop to the consequent stronger 

 fermentation in the large heaps. It is doubtful, how- 

 ever, whether he is right in this supposition. Mr. 

 Seminario informs the present author that he tried a 

 regular fermentation, as practised in Trinidad and 

 Surinam, but without success. The merchants would 

 not pay a higher price for the resulting product, and 

 the beans had not such a good appearance as when 

 treated in the ordinary way. Mr. Seminario accordingly 



