204 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



It may be interesting in this respect to know that these dryers have 

 been supplied to a number of cacao factories for dealing with the manu- 

 factured articles in this country, and have, so far, proved conspicuously 



successful. 



It has been urged against the vacuum stove that it requires a mechanic 

 in attendance. This, however, the makers claim to have obviated by 

 means of a vacuum pump of high-class construction but of simple design. 

 Such a pump is said to be practically fool-proof, and capable of being 

 understood and operated by a native labourer of the lowest degree of 

 intelligence ; it is claimed that these machines run for several years with- 

 out any expert repairs. The pump is, of course, the only moving part 

 of the installation, and is, therefore, the only part which need in any way 

 be feared. 



The vacuum- drying installation consists of a series of steam-heated 

 shelves, a condenser, a water receiver, and a vacuum pump. The beans 

 are placed on nets or trays, which are put on the steam-heated shelves. 

 The drawer is run into its place, made fast, the vacuum pump started 

 and the steam admitted to the shelves. It is claimed that, if necessary, 

 within an hour the pump can be stopped, the air admitted to the stove, 

 which is then opened and the tray removed. The beans will then be 

 found to be sufficiently dry. As a rule, however, a slower process is to be 

 recommended. If 80 per cent, of the moisture to be expelled is drawn out 

 by the chamber and the balance taken out by the sun, I believe that the 

 result will be found to be both economical and perfectly satisfactory, both 

 as regards cost and flavour. 



For smaller estates and for very small plantations, I need hardly say 

 that, in my opinion, there is no dryer to compare, both as regards cost 

 and simplicity of construction, with the well-known Hamel Smith Dryer, 

 a full description of which is given in " Tropical Life " for December 

 1907. 



DISCUSSION. 



The Chairman (Hon. Wm. Fawcett, late Director of Public Gardens 

 and Plantations, Jamaica), in rising to invite discussion, said : With 

 reference to the question of budding and grafting cacao, I may say that 

 while I had charge of the Botanic Gardens in Jamaica I paid special 

 attention to this operation. When Mr. T. J. Harris, under my direction 

 and guidance, worked out a method for budding the mango, we found 

 that the same method was applicable to cacao, and I came to the 

 conclusion that budding was in every way more suitable and effective 

 than in-arching or grafting by approach. However careful a planter may 

 be in selecting seed for propagating purposes, the usual result is that the 

 plants raised from the seed are of many different varieties — some trees 

 having pods of very inferior quality and few beans ; other trees, almost 

 barren, producing only a few pods; others, again, with a large yield of 

 pods, tfiviiifr numerous beans of good quality. As soon as the trees have 

 fruited and declared their quality, the planter may bud all the inferior 

 kinds from good trees, and in this way get a plantation of trees with good 

 yield of cacao, of uniform good quality. An established plantation may 

 also be improved and made uniform by budding on old stocks. As 



