Sept. i, 1893.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
149 
" COCOA CUEING IN CEYLON." 
{From Bidlcfiii of thr Botanical Department, Jamaica.) 
The following information received from Dr. Trimen, 
Director of the Hoj al Botanic Gardens. Ceylon, will 
no doubt be of great interest to planters in Jamaica. 
•'You ask about Cocoa curing. Ws always care- 
fully wash off with repeated ablutions every particle 
of mucilage from the seeds. No doubt this lessens 
weight, but much improves the sample and I think 
one of the principal reasons for the generally high 
price ' eylon cocoa fetches in London is the clean 
bright look of the bean. Another and perhaps more 
important thing is thorough drying. On estates this 
is always done by a current of hot air drawn by a 
fan through a small house, the seeds being spread 
out in layers on trays and turned over several times. 
No Planter here would allow a speck of mould to 
be seen on a Cocoa bean. I gave a description of 
the ordinary stj'le of dr3dng house for Cocoa to 
Sir W. Robinson of Trinidad a few years ago, and 
he printed it in the "Agricultural Record" of that 
Colony for 18110. I enclose a leaflet which is dis- 
tributed with Cocoa seed to the native villagers." 
Description op Ceylon Cocoa D-rying House. 
The house is about twice as long as broad, 
built of brick, and is provided with double doors, 
but with the exception of the opening for the in- 
gress and egress of the hot air, is hermetically 
sealed. The interior is fitted with a number of 
upright frames into which slide, one above the other, 
the trays upon which the beans are spread ; these 
should be made of narrow pieces of split bamboo, 
not of wire or coir-matting. The heating apparatus 
is outside in contact with one end of the building, 
and consists of a large stove standing in a short 
ttinnel which opens into the house. At the other 
end of the building, also outside, is a powerful fan, 
fitted in another short tunnel ; this is worked by 
hand (three or forr coolies needed) and by its rapid 
revolutions draws the air through the house. By 
passing over and round the stove the air is dried 
and heated ; that which passes out is hot and damp. 
The fiue of the stove passes under the floor of the 
house and contributes to warm it. A drying house 
of this sort is vt ry simple and its cost only about 
120* rupees ; it does its work perfectly, and nothing 
more elaborate or costly is required. 
" It is found desirable here to dry Cocoa as slowly 
as possible, provided the risk of mould be avoided. 
This appears in the interior of the beans in twelve 
hours and on their outside in about twenty four in 
wet weather if they are left cold, but by passing 
them rapidly through the hot air house, so as to 
have them hot when taken out, it is found that 
they will remain for a night or so in the store with- 
out injury." 
[" As the annual average number of rainy days in 
Ceylon is from 80 in dry districts, to 328 in the 
wet, and Cocoa is grown only in the moist regions 
of the Island we may assume that at least four-fifths 
of the Cocoa exported from that colony is dried arti- 
ficially. The rainfall in the best Cocoa Districts of 
Trinidad appears to average between 80 and 100 
inches. The total yield as before stated is 12,500 
cwt. representing an enormous crop and an im- 
mense number of people dependent upon it."t] 
" Instructions to Native Culttvatohs of the 
Cacao or Chocolate Tree, 1884. 
" 1. Localities, soil, climate, £c. — Cacao is a com- 
pletely tropical plant, and its cultivation should not 
be attempted above 2, .500 feet, and only in warm 
situations well sheltered from wind. Flat ground is 
better than sloping. The climate must be moist, 
but a well-marked dry season, if not too long, is 
no disadvantage. The soil should be deep and well 
drained ; good forest soil is, of course, best, but that 
of native gardens is generally very suitable. 
* Should be Rl,200, as given by Dr. Trimen. — 
Ed. r.^. 
t 'i bis no part of Dr. Tiimen'a witing. Probably 
SirW, Robinson' J addition.— Bd. T.A, 
" 2. Planting. — The seeds must be sown as soon 
as possible after they are gathered, as they quickly 
spoil for germination after becoming dry. Germi- 
nation commences soon and proceeds very rapidly, 
and the young plants are very impatient of being 
transplanted, unless with the adoption of such pre- 
cautions as will prevent any injury to the roots. 
Arrangements must, therefore, be made either for 
growing the seeds in a nursery in such a manner 
as to allow at least a foot between each seedling, 
so that they may subsequently be taken up with 
the earth about their roots, or for sowing them singly 
in bamboo or other pots or for putting two or three 
seeds in each place it is intended a tree shall occupy, 
afterwards allowing only the strongest seedling of 
these to remain. The last plan is the best for native 
cultivators. In plantations the trees thould stand at 
from 10 to 1.5 feet apart, according to the richness 
of the soil, 12 feet being a good average distance. 
"3. Cultivation. — It is necessary to shade the 
seedling plants when young : this is effected by 
branches fastened in the ground of any tree which 
retains its withered leaves — as cinnamon, mora, &c. 
There is no occasion to provide any permanent 
shade in most parts of Cej'lon, but sheltered from 
wind is of great importance. Plenty of light and a 
free ventilation of air are essential for the production 
of good and abundant crops. The ground under the 
trees must be kept perfectly free from v.-eeds, and 
may be littered with decaying leaves and other vege- 
table matter. Manure is very beneficial. The trees 
should be kept from growing higher than 10 or 12 
feet, and the primary branches be encouraged to 
assume a horizontal direction ; redundant shoots from 
these or from the trunk must be pinched off when 
young. The principal trunk and branches should 
be kept very clean, and great care should be taken 
that the small and delicate flowers are not rubbed 
off or injured. 
" 4, Gatheriwj. — A first crop may be expected on 
good soil in the third year. The fruit must be 
quite ripe before it is gathered; this is known by 
the rind having a yellowish colour when cut into. 
The pods should be cut off cleanly with a knife, and 
not too closely to the stem. They can be easily 
spilt by a blow from a wooden mallet, and the seeds 
and pulp are then taken out and put into baskets 
to be carried to the curing place. 
" 5. Curing. — The seeds should be heaped together 
to " sweat." This maj" be done in pits or boxes, 
or better on a platform covered with c jir matting ; 
the seeds should be covered over with matting, gunny 
bags, or a tarpaulin. Every other day they must be 
thoroughly turned over until the process of fermen- 
tation has gone far enough, whion will be in seven, 
eight or nine days; on the proper duration of this 
depends the goodness of the sample. The miicilage 
and pulp round the seeds is now ready to be washed 
off, and this washing requires several repetitions 
with plenty of water. As soon as clean they should 
be at once spread out on mats in the sun to dry, 
avoiding, however, the extreme heat of the day, and 
in about three days they will be fit for the market. 
In wet weather the drying must be done by arti- 
ficial heat in the house. 
"When well dried the "beans" should be per- 
fectly clean, with a thin pale cinnamon-brown skin, 
of one colour all through, and entirely free from 
damp or mouldiness. 
Henry Trimen, Director, R.B.G. 
UvA Planting Prospects.— We are glad to 
see so encouraging a planting report from Uva as 
that furnished on the present oooasion by our 
correspondent. In respect of the future of tea, 
he is especially strong and under these oircum- 
Btanoes, it is all the more aggravating and inexplic- 
able, to learn that there has been a suspension 
ol the work on the roads which are required as 
feeders to the Railway. Can it be that the Go- 
vernment do not want to draw more tra£Qa to 
their Hapuiale or other Btatiocs '? ! 
