148 METHODS OF FERMENTATION 



Some farmers collect various forms of receptacles, 

 such as kerosene tins, flour or cement barrels, packing 

 cases or baskets, and place the beans in these to ferment. 

 With a view to obtaining a more uniformly prepared 

 product the beans in a heap or vessel are occasionally 

 stirred whilst fermentation is proceeding. The period 

 allowed for fermentation to be effected is usually three 

 or four days, irrespective of climatic conditions or the 

 size of the fermenting heap. The effect which fermenta- 

 tion has upon the interior of the beans is not usually con- 

 sidered. Some of the more enlightened farmers are, 

 however, beginning to appreciate the necessity for modi- 

 fying the natural astringency of the cocoa beans and are 

 adopting better methods of fermentation. 



San Thome. It is doubtful whether greater quantities 

 of cocoa are handled on any estate in the world than 

 on those being dealt with on some of the largest estates 

 in San Thome. 



Some of these estates produce more than 2,000 tons of 

 cured cocoa per annum : the " Agua Ize " estate exported 

 3,000 tons of cured cocoa during the year 1908. For 

 such enormous quantities to be properly and expeditiously 

 fermented a considerable area of fermenting space is 

 obviously required. 



Plate 9 shows a portion of one of the rows of fer- 

 menting-chambers at the " Rio do Ouro " estate. In 

 this row there are thirteen chambers ; each chamber is 

 divided into two sections. The back division is 4 metres 

 (13 ft.) long and 1*3 metres (4'2 ft.) broad. Owing to the 

 slope of the roof the height varies from T25 metres (4' 1 ft.) 

 to 1'5 metres (4* 9 ft.). The front division of each chamber 

 is the same length as the back division ; it is I'l metres 

 (3'6 ft.) broad and 1'2 metres (3'9 ft.) high. 



The floor and back wall of each division are perforated 

 with numerous holes for the purpose of aerating the 

 fermenting mass and to allow the liquid matters which 

 exude from the fermenting beans to pass readily away. 

 This liquid falls into the masonry drain which runs 

 under the whole length of the thirteen chambers, from 

 which it is conveyed away by a central drain. 



With the exception of the small piece of zinc roofing of 

 the front section, the chambers are constructed of sub- 

 stantial, durable wood. The roof of the back section 



