COCOA-GROWING COUNTRIES 375 



old the tree is in full bearing. The Trinitario yields 

 fruit when three or four years old, and may be considered 

 to be in full bearing when eight years old. 



Fermenting is done in a way rather different from 

 that in other countries, and the cause of this difference 

 is no other than the fact that there are very fine varieties 

 grown which yield a sweet produce and which are only 

 allowed a very slight and short fermentation. 



The method of fermenting is as follows : l 



When a sufficient quantity of fresh seeds has been 

 gathered, they are spread out in the sun for a day. 

 For this purpose a quantity of a few hundred) kilograms 

 is sufficient, because, for the slight fermentation which 

 follows, no large quantities are required. The drying is 

 performed on large floors, made of burned-clay or brick, 

 sometimes covered with a coating of lime or cement. 



While the cocoa is still hot it is gathered together 

 in a heap and covered with banana leaves, or it is put 

 into special sweating boxes. 



The cocoa is only allowed to ferment one day. 

 After that time it is at once removed and stained. 



This " staining " is done in the following way : 



Some cocoa is put on a sheet, and two persons, by 

 lifting up the corners and moving them alternately up 

 and down, cause the beans to rub against each other. 

 Then some dry red earth is poured on them, and again 

 the same manipulation is done with the sheet, till the 

 earth is equally spread over the beans. 



Then again the cocoa is spread out on the drying 

 floor, and left there till it is completely dry. 



The earth used for staining is found in many 

 places on the slopes of the mountains, but not every- 

 where ; and the planters of the plateau of Valencia, near 

 G-uigue, are obliged to fetch it from the coast near 

 Choroni. Sometimes the earth is pulverised in special 

 machines. And it is always carefully dried and sifted. 



This method of " staining " is almost the same as 

 the method of " claying" in Trinidad ; and, indeed, the 



1 Preuss, Expedition, p. 231. 



