i6 7 



CHAPTER XVI. 



PULPING AND PREPARING. 



THE final curing of the Coffee bean, the freeing 

 from all outside pulp and coverings, in order 

 that it may go to market in the form which an 

 English public is familiar with, is a matter of 

 importance. Briefly summarised, the processes are 

 these : 



The cherry is passed through Jt^ejr2ulrje_r,_and the 

 pulp, or skin, is pulled off, leaving the parchment 

 bean all covered with saccharine matter, so much so 

 that it is impossible to grasp a handful of it and 

 retain it all. It is to remove this that fermenta- 

 tion is allowed. After fermentation, jthe Coffee is 

 washed ; it then presents the appearance of a bean 

 covered with a strong white sjdr^j^husk,_called 

 parchment. This is exposed for several days to a 

 strong sun, and, when dry__enough, is packed off, 

 say to Colombo. Here it is again dried for two to 

 three days, and then husked by being put into a 

 circular trough, over which roll four or two enormous 

 wheels, weighing generally a ton each. These re- 

 move the husk without injuringjthe bean, and now 

 the bean presenTjTlHcKanged appearance; it is 

 closely fitted with a thin skin of silver, called the 



