01 m 



(f TJNIVERSr 



Water is then admitted into the ci^ern^n^the cpffee being 

 agitated by wooden rakes, the mucilage combines with the 

 water and is drained off. After this the washed parchment 

 coffee has to be dried to a hard stage, and as it frequently 

 happens that during crop time there is a continuance of wet 

 weather for weeks and months together, the chief difficulties 

 which a planter has to contend with now present themselves. 



The peeler, or machine for removing the parchment, con- 

 sists of a circular trough, in which a wheel is made to 

 travel ; this is generally made of wood, and shod with copper 

 sheeting, and is turned by central pressure, like the capstan 

 of a ship, either by hand or by the gearing of machinery at- 

 tached to a steam-engine. An improvement on this has been 

 made by constructing the travelling wheels of iron, and the 

 trough of plates of the same metal ; these plates being serrated 

 in one direction, so as to present a rough surface to the 

 coffee, facilitate the fracture of the parchment. Two wheels 

 are generally made to work in one trough, each of which is 

 provided with a kind of scraper, to stir up the coffee in its 

 path and cause it to present a new face to the pressure. 



A coffee-peeler is usually made of durable wood or iron. 

 The circumference of the machine is 36 feet ; the breadth 

 between the circles in the machine is 1 foot. The height of 

 the wheel 6 feet ; the thickness near the axle-tree 1 foot, and 

 on the top 6 inches ; twelve men or four bullocks can turn it. 

 If turned by men 200 bushels of coffee, and if worked by 

 bullocks 140 bushels, can be obtained in nine hours ; if by 

 steam about 800 or 1000 bushels. The cost of constructing 

 a machine to be worked by men or bullocks is 25Z., by steam 

 6001 



After undergoing this process, the coffee is passed into a 

 winnower, which removes nearly the whole of the parchment 

 and silver skin. It is now given to the women, in quantities 

 of a bushel each, to be picked over by hand, who take out all 



