EXPORT OF CACAO, ETC. 75 



floors, but sometimes they are separated, and we believe that 

 this latter course is the best, as during the process of fermenta- 

 tion much moisture is given off by the bean and this cannot be 

 conducive to the quick drying on the floors above. 



The cost of houses for an estate of 300 acres would probably 

 be some 200 to 250 each or perhaps more, if substantial 

 buildings are to be erected and artificial drying resorted to, and 

 several of these would be required as an estate developed. A 

 single house will be sufficient to commence with on an estate 

 made from Virgin Forest as the crop will be gradually increasing 

 from year to year, and the necessary drying space should be 

 extended so as to keep pace with the number of trees coming into 

 bearing, but it is always better to have ample drying space, than 

 to be for one moment cramped for room ; for much is lost and 

 nothing gained by such a policy, as there is a liability to spoil 

 produce when there is not sufficient room in the drying houses, 



Ifc is generally considered that 80 square feet of drying 

 surface is sufficient space for drying the produce of 1,000 trees, 

 taking the crop of the year from beginning to end. If the 

 planter therefore can find out what it will cost him to provide 

 this area he can easily estimate for larger surfaces, the cost of 

 building entirely depending upon the district in which the 

 plantation is situated. 



Xext to the drying house a good storeroom and office should 

 be provided and a proper range of labourers' barracks may be 

 required where labour has to be brought from a distance, 



LABOUR, &c. 



It will be found much better to attach labour to an estate 

 by the allowance of house room, provision ground or other 

 privilege, than to employ casual labour as it presents itself, as 

 there is much more interest taken in the work when the 

 labourer in a measure " belongs to the estate," and looks upon 

 it as his home, 



Skilled labour is highly requisite on a Cacao estate, i.e., 

 the labourer must be accustomed to the work, and the higher the 

 class of labourer employed the better will the estate be worked. 

 Such labour is however not always obtainable, but it is certainly 

 the best when it can be had. We are not here speaking of the 

 manager, foreman or ganger, but of the field hands for the pur- 

 pose of carrying on the general work of the plantation. With 



