204 The Fermentation of Cacao 
the necessary work of refilling a Set of spare 
trays for the next charge whilst the first 
charge is being dried, close the air-tight door, 
start. the exhaust pump, and regulate the 
temperature. At first glance it would appear 
advisable to use a rotary vacuum cylinder 
in place of a stationary rectangular vacuum 
chamber in order that polishing might be 
effected at the same time as drying, but, taking 
into consideration additional difficulties in pre- 
serving a good vacuum in a rotary machine, 
and the fact that four hours’ slow rotating 
would not perceptibly polish the seed, one is 
forced to conclude that with the beans placed 
three or four deep on the trays it would be 
necessary to break the vacuum after about one 
and a half hours’ drying, and pass the beans 
through a polisher for ten minutes to give them 
the best appearance, and prevent them adhering 
to one another, and then return them to the 
dryer to complete curing. If cacao ‘‘washing” 
were economically possible, polishing might be 
saved and the drying process in vacuum carried 
out straight to its end, when a very slight hand 
manipulation would serve to separate adhering 
seeds. With the necessity of polishing, an 
average day’s work would hardly cover more 
than two charges of the dryer, but during 
crop pressure three charges per diem might be 
put through. This point is of importance in 
establishing the size of dryer necessary for an 
estate, and due regard must be paid to the 
