126 COFFEE 



sorted out by hand into uniform sizes. The coffee is exposed for 

 a third time to the sun or to stove heat; and, when totally dry, it is 

 packed in bags or barrels and stored in a dry and covered place. 



(3) Modern Methods in Brazil and Large Production Areas of 

 the East: — Freshly picked fruit is separated from its pulp by a 

 pulping-machine. Such machines are of diverse types; and their 

 pulping-ability varies from trwenty bushels per hour by means of 

 small hand pulpers to one hundred and fifty bushels by w^ater or 

 steam power. Pulping is done at once, or at least within half a 

 day after picking, in order to avoid the injurious fermentation of 

 the pulp which has a deleterious effect on the beans. 



The resulting parchment-covered beans are slimy and require 

 washing. The moist pulped beans are left in a pile for four to 

 six hours in order to induce slight fermentation which facilitates 

 the removal of the glutinous substance covering the parchment. The 

 beans are placed in a tank of water which is stirred by two work- 

 men by means of long-handled shovels. The water passes through 

 freely, and the beans are passed on to a second and third tank 

 where they undergo the same treatment and are not removed from 

 the last one until well cleansed. Modern washing-machines are 

 now largely used. These machines can handle one hundred and 

 fifty quintals per hour, and require only one tank. 



The product of this process is dried before being subjected to the 

 harrowing-machine which removes the parchment. Desiccation is 

 accomplished by the use of a stove or drying-machine. The cen- 

 trifugal type of drying-apparatus does not completely dry the coffee, 

 and is used only in combination with drying-grounds. The common 

 type oi drier consists of a cylinder, a stove, and a ventilator. The 

 four compartments of the cylinder are filled alternately with equal 

 quantities of coffee to obtain better balance and facility of rotation. 

 The cylinder is filled through small inlets. When filled, the cylinder 

 is put in motion and the ventilator and the stove are lighted simul- 

 taneously. The important thing for the manipulator to do is to 

 watch the thermometer to ascertain that the heat does not exceed 

 66° C. The hot air, entering the cylinder, is divided into thirty- 

 four thousand small currents, which gives the cylinder a great 

 velocity and disperses the moisture more rapidly. The cylinder 

 rotates twice per minute. The ventilator throws a great current 



