COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 351 



The curing of cocoa, after fermentation is finished, 

 is effected in two ways in Trinidad either the beans 

 are simply dried, as in most other countries, or they 

 are treated in a special way by means of red clay. Of 

 this " claying" process Olivieri gives a good description, 

 which may be quoted here : l - 



Claying consists in the addition of dry red earth of a 

 ferruginous character and free from organic matter. The 

 addition of dry red earth promotes uniformity of colour among 

 the cacao : beans besides preserving their aroma ; while, on account 

 of its siccative nature, it also absorbs moisture and prevents 

 mouldiness. It is used in a finely pulverised state, which is 

 obtained by pounding the lumps or granules in a mortar at the 

 rate of half to quarter pound of coarse red earth for every barrel 

 of cacao. During the first day of exposure, or soon after the 

 transfer to the drying house the cacao-beans are cleaned and freed 

 of any remaining debris and pulpy strings; while at the close 

 of the same day, if the weather has proved dry, or the following 

 evening, if otherwise, they are heaped up longitudinally along 

 the centre of the tray. The morning after, and while the roof is 

 kept closed so as to prevent the powdered earth from being 

 blown off by wind or breeze, the earth is sifted over and along 

 the heap of the cacao-beans thus made either by means of a fine 

 sieve, or through a split oats bag. This operation is repeated 

 till the whole quantity of allotted earth has been applied, while 

 after or during the progress of each operation the heap of beans 

 is upturned and stirred with the usual wooden cacao shovel 

 without spreading out to an undue extent its longitudinal and 

 original formation. The earth becomes gradually absorbed by 

 the viscous mucilage then covering the cacao beans, which are 

 opened out along both sides of the tray after scraping and 

 cleaning the viscous substance adhering to the flooring. The 

 scraping is also carried on along the centre of the tray before 

 the beans are spread out in uniform thickness, ranging from 2J 

 to 3 inches, through its whole breadth. 



The beans are then left under the care of a woman or boy, 

 who keeps walking through them to and fro in a close and 

 parallel manner to the side of the tray from which the walking 

 started. This movement is changed at intervals into a cross or 

 opposite but identical manner, and any pulpy threads or foreign 

 substances which may be brought out during the stirring are 

 also picked up and removed ; while all adhering or lumpy beans 



1 Olivieri, Treatise, p. 94. 



