61 



preserved in a sweet state when spread thinly on the floor, 

 large and commodious buildings were called into use, not- 

 withstanding the unusually heavy expense which attended 

 their erection in situations remote from town, where suffi- 

 ciently skilful labour was only to be had at the time, and 

 with great difficulty. On this account inadequate accom- 

 modation was provided on many plantations, and the coffee 

 accumulating to a considerable depth, no amount of hand- 

 turning could keep it from contracting a musty smell, its 

 proneness to decomposition increasing greatly in proportion 

 to the extent of the accumulation. 



Some years ago it occurred to Mr. Clerihew that it was 

 possible, by means of fanners, working on the exhausting 

 principle, so to withdraw air from an enclosed space as to 

 establish a current of air through masses of coifee spread on 

 perforated floors forming the top and bottom of that space. 

 This plan he carried into execution at E/athoongodde plan- 

 tation, and it has since been adopted by many planters. 



The following is a detailed description of Mr. Clerihew's 

 invention, a model of which was shown at the International 

 Exhibition of 1851 : 



The water-wheel is an overshot one, nine feet in diameter, 

 and is of much smaller dimensions than any wheel that has 

 hitherto been employed for pulping. It is, however, suffi- 

 cient in power to work the fans and pulpers simultaneously, 

 the excess of its power over that of other wheels being gained 

 by the diminution of friction consequent on there being no 

 intervening shafting and gearing. The entire wheel is con- 

 structed of wood, with the exception of the shaft, which is 

 unusually light, as it has merely to serve as a support to the 

 wheel. By means of a double band rim-bolted to the arms 

 on each side, motion is given to the pulpers from the one 

 and to the fans from the other. 



The floors of the curing-house are laid with laths 1^ inch 

 square and 2 inches apart ; these are covered with open coir 



