15 



tion in various processes of agriculture in others. The training of 

 elementary school teachers, where the demand for this form of instruc- 

 tion still exists, is being steadily pursued, while use is being made of 

 evening classes, or continuation school and science classes, as well as 

 occasionally of middle class schools, to make further local provision for 

 elementary agricultural instruction. In at least twenty counties in 

 England and Wales demonstrations by experimental work in field plots 

 are now undertaken, and, except in cases where the experiments are of 

 a special class, or are organised on a general scale and for much wider 

 areas than those of counties, it has been found in a large degree practic- 

 able, in the past two years, to relegate to the local funds, now forthcom- 

 ing, the responsibility for maintaining local object lessons of this type." 



NOTES ON CURING COCOA FOR SMALL 



SETTLERS. 



By W. Oradwick, Superintendent of Hope Garden. 



The first important point to be observed when about to cure Cocoa is 

 that it must be quite ripe, but not over-ripe. The pods must have 

 attained their full colour whatever it may be, but if the beans shake 

 about easily then the pod is over-ripe. The reason is that if the beans 

 are not ripe, the mucilaginous matter covering the beans is not 

 properly developed into the stage when it will readily ferment. If 

 left to get over-ripe, the mucilage commences to liquefy. 



The best vessel in which a small cultivator can ferment Cocoa is an 

 ordinary flour barrel. To prepare this for the reception of Cocoa beans, 

 first bore about a dozen holes, each half an inch in diameter, in the bot- 

 tom of the barrel, then place about ten inches of banana trash in the 

 bottom of the barrel. Line the sides also thickly with trash, and have 

 a sufficient quantity on hand to cover the beans when placed in the 

 barrel. When the barrel is ready, break the whole of the pods and 

 place the beans in the barrel, covering with the banana trash. The 

 beans must be left to ferment for two days, then remove one-third of 

 the beans and lay them in a heap on the floor and mix them thoroughly. 

 Remove the balance of the beans and mix them also, but do not put 

 the two heaps together. After placing fresh trash in the barrel, put 

 the beans which were at the top back into the bottom of the barrel and 

 those which were at the bottom, place at the top. Cover with trash in 

 the same way as before and leave for two more days, when the beans 

 should be treated in exactly the same way as before. They should 

 then be left for two more days, when they are to be taken out 

 and washed thoroughly. On the day the beans are finally removed 

 from the barrel the work should be commenced very early in the morn- 

 ing, so as to get all the sun possible on the first day, for the beans mil- 

 dew very quickly. They should be washed immediately they are taken 

 out of the barrel as this helps to keep them plump. 



The proper amount of Cocoa to ferment in one barrel is the quantity 

 of beans obtained from 1,000 ordinary sized pods. If many more than 

 this number are put into one barrel, the fermentation is too great and 

 the beans turn black. 



If a less quantity, say below 700 pods, are to be fermented, the green 



