402 COCOA 



CHAP. 



cankered areas with strong reagents, especially strong 

 sulphuric acid. 



Against the black rot of pods spraying was tried at 

 the Peradeniya Gardens, with good result. 



Helopeltis was first noticed on cocoa in Ceylon in 

 1880. Every year the damage is a serious one, and 

 planters are as yet nearly helpless against this enemy. 

 The use of suitable shade trees is recommended, and 

 shade is considered to be the most important palliative. 



A common pest in store-rooms is the larva of a 

 Pyralid moth (Ephestia). 



For fermenting, the seeds are treated in Ceylon 

 about in the same way as is done in Java, which method 

 will be described later in detail. On the fermenting 

 floors the seeds are heaped up in heaps of four or more 

 bushels. Every day or every twelve hours the heaps 

 are turned over. About the time necessary to obtain 

 the right produce opinions are different. Some planters 

 ferment only during 1^ days, while others consider 

 it better to ferment during 2^ days or 3 days, or even 

 longer. 



In most estates washing is carried out, and this seems 

 necessary when the beans have been subjected to a com- 

 paratively short fermentation, because it is otherwise 

 difficult to obtain a satisfactory drying. 



Lock * gives the following description of fermenting 

 and washing in Ceylon : 



The beans and wet pulp are piled in cement tanks and covered 

 with plantain leaves and jute hessian, and are allowed to remain 

 for twenty-four hours. They are then uncovered arid partly 

 washed by stirring with water, which is allowed to drain away 

 from the bottom of the tank. After a further twenty -four hours 

 the same process is again repeated, and is followed by a final fer- 

 mentation period of twenty-four hours, the total period of fermenta- 

 tion being thus three days. The beans are then finally washed 

 and are ready for the final process of drying. The washing should 

 not be done too thoroughly, as it is found that the beans dry a 

 better colour if a certain amount of pulp is left adhering to the 

 surface. 



