Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe 109 
rain falling during the process. The most 
primitive method of drying is accomplished by 
spreading the beans out on small trays which 
are placed in the sun during the daytime, and 
brought in under cover at night or when it 
rains. In prolonged rainy weather the cacao 
is sometimes placed on tin sheets or metal 
plates (d/echplatten) which are warmed by fire 
placed underneath them, and is thus dried. 
In the case of larger crops, this method would 
waste too much time. Where sun-drying is 
possible cement or stone floors in the open 
air are used. This method is an extremely 
practical one when continuously sunny weather 
prevails, or, at the most, only passing showers 
have to be avoided, but not when several 
successive days of rain occur frequently. The 
reasons why this is so I have given on p. 85. 
To avoid the injurious influence of rainy 
weather, and still more, to avoid the beans 
having to remain in heaps for prolonged 
periods when only slightly dried, large trays 
were constructed to run on rails, capable of 
being rapidly moved under cover when it 
started to rain or at night. A further advance 
was arrived at when arrangements were made 
to place three or four trays one over the other. 
In order that the drying process might be con- 
tinued on these trays during continuously wet 
weather, the shed was so constructed that the 
1 [ cannot understand in such cases how the beans do 
not get scorched or burnt.—H. H. S. 
