FERMENTING CHAMBERS 151 



freshly shelled cocoa. Decauville lines run between the 

 rows of fermenting-chambers, and upon these the cars 

 containing the cocoa are brought alongside the particular 

 chamber it is desired to fill. When the chamber has been 

 filled the beans are well covered over with banana leaves. 

 The periods of fermentation are similar to those pre- 

 viously described as obtaining at the " Rio do Ouro " 

 estate. At the expiration of the first period of fermenta- 

 tion the beans are shovelled into an adjoining chamber 

 left vacant for its reception. Each chamber is raised 

 above the ground on wooden blocks, and its floor is 

 perforated with holes for the drainage of the liquids 

 produced during fermentation. 



At the " Boa Entrada " estate the cocoa is fermented 

 in stout wooden boxes 1'2 metres (3'9 ft) square, which 

 are placed in an open shed. During cool, dry weather 

 the fermenting beans are covered up with banana leaves 

 or some similar material, but this is not considered 

 necessary during the hot, rainy season. The period of 

 fermentation varies in accordance with climatic conditions 

 from five to nine days ; in other respects the method 

 of fermentation is similar to that just described. 



With a view to correcting the acidity associated with 

 the cocoa produced on this estate a special building, 

 devised by Schulte, has been erected, in which the cocoa 

 is placed before fermentation is completed, and the 

 beans subjected to a constant temperature of 54 Cent. 

 (130 Fahr.). 



The building consists of two rooms, into which trolleys 

 are run on Decauville rails. Each trolley carries five 

 perforated wooden trays arranged one above the other. 

 The dimensions of the trays are approximately as follows : 

 T2 metres x 70 cm. x 15 cm. (3'9x 2'3x '5 ft.). 



The beans are first fermented for two days in the 

 ordinary way, then spread out in the sun for six hours, 

 after which they are spread thinly on the trays until 

 sufficiently dried for export. 



The heat for the building is provided by a flue-pipe 

 which runs round it near the floor and is connected with 

 a furnace. The manager of the estate informed the 

 writer that cocoa prepared by this method realised 

 about 500 Reis per arroba (2s. per 33 Ib.) more than 

 that prepared in the manner previously described, which 



