1 98 The Fermentation of Cacao 
additional help to drying and an insurance 
against the ‘‘ weathering ” of cacao during rush 
of crop and very wet weather. It is unneces- 
sary to use it more than two or three months 
in the year and then seldom in the day time, but 
generally between the hours of 4 p.m. and 
10 p.m. The tray flooring consists of copper 
wire mesh with Zin. apertures supported by 
wooden battens, and the hot air chamber is 
principally used for drying cacao quickly after 
polishing, thus retaining its gloss and attrac- 
tiveness. Its recommendation lies principally 
in the fact that the two tiers adapted to hot air 
drying are quite as capable of taking advantage 
of sun heat and wind evaporation as the 
remaining four tiers of the ‘“boucan,” and the 
change to hot air drying is effected without 
shifting the contents of the eight trays. This 
factor, allied to the small cost entailed in the 
arrangement, constitutes its advantage and 
economy. The trays each measure 12 ft. by 
6 ft. Twomen are employed in the evenings 
to tend the stove and turn the driving-wheel 
of the fan at a cost of 6d. each. Three to four 
cords of firewood prove sufficient to deal with 
100 bags or more of cacao. .In the morning it 
is usual to find the cacao quite warm, although 
fan and stove operations have been suspended 
since 10 p.m. The maximum heat advocated is: 
130° F., but usually 110° will be found sufficient. 
I do not advocate this scheme as by any 
means a perfect one, but it is. economical to 
