174 CACAO 



longitudinally. The rods are fitted at one end, on the 

 outside of the cylinder, with pinion wheels which work on 

 a centre spur wheel attached to the axle shaft of the 

 cylinder. The inside of the cylinder is smooth and so is 

 the surface of the agitating rods, the cross-sectional shape 

 of which is elliptical. The cylinder revolves at fifteen and 

 the agitating rods at 360 revolutions a minute, and has 

 a convenient aperture for filling and emptying. The 

 machine is made in sizes to contain one and a half, three, 

 and five bags of cacao, or 270 lb., 540 lb., and 900 lb. 

 respectively. Gearing is attached to the machine for 

 driving the smallest size by hand-power and the two 

 larger sizes by engine-power. A 2J horse-power oil- 

 engine will drive the largest size. The cacao beans are 

 polished in ten minutes by the machine, and with con- 

 veniences and quick despatch four lots can be polished 

 in one hour. The cacao beans must be slightly wetted 

 with plain water before being put into the machine, 

 and the cylinder should be only three-quarters to seven- 

 eighths filled. The advantages claimed for this 

 machine are manifold, and include besides the saving in 

 cost of polishing, saving in time, in worry, and in 

 labour. No beans are crushed by the machine, and 

 the beans are turned out fuller in shape than by any 

 other process. 



Size of floor required. — Drying-houses are generally built 

 of wood in Trinidad, but progressive planters are now 

 building the framework with Ferro, or reinforced concrete 

 frames ; in any case, always with wooden drying floors. 

 Sometimes they are raised 6 ft., 8 ft., and 10 ft. above the 

 ground level, the ground floor being sometimes utilised for 

 " sweat-boxes," store-rooms, offices, &c. This is, however, 

 undesirable, as cacao is easily contaminated. 



Sun-drying floors are sometimes built with solid walls, 

 allowing a chamber below into which heating apparatus of 

 various kinds are adjusted, from the antiquated flue, to 

 pipes containing low-pressure steam, so as to enable the 

 planter to dry at will> either by sun or by artificial heat 



