5° 
THE.  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST. 
| July  i,  1892 
right  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  coirnetting.  The  heating  apparatus 
is  outside  in  contact  with  one  end  of  the  building, 
and  consist  of  a large  stove  standing  in  a short 
tunnel  which  opens  into  the  house.  At  the  other 
end  of  the  building,  also  outside,  is  a power- 
ful fan,  fitted  in  another  short  tunnel  ; this  is 
worked  by  hand  (three  or  four  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  flue  of  the  stove  passes 
under  the  floor  of  the  house  and  contributes  to  warm 
it.  A drying  house  of  this  sort  is  very  simple  and 
its  cost  only  about 120  rupees  ; it  does  its  work  perfectly, 
and  nothin <)  more  elaborate  or  costly  is  required. 
it  is  found  desirable  here  to  dry  Cacao  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  without 
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  artificially.  The  rainfall  in  the  best 
Cocoa  Districts  of  Trinidad  appears  to  average 
between  80  and  100  inches.  The  total  yield 
as  before  stated  is  125,000  cwt.  representing  an  enor- 
mous crop  and  an  immense  number  of  people 
dependent  upon  it.  Yet  there  are  not  half  a dozen 
artificial  drying  houses,  if  as  many,  in  the  whole  Island." 
The  method  appears  to  be  a very  sunple  one,  but 
the  amount  of  labour  needed  (“three  or  four  coolies’’) 
appears  to  be  large  when  compared  with  that  required 
for  the  ordinary  Trinidad  methods. 
It  will  be  observed  that  the  Ceylon  planter  has 
found  it  desirable  to  dry  cacao  as  “ slowly  as  pos- 
sible, provided  the  risk  of  mould  be  avoided. ’’  This 
is  an  experience  which  has  been  know’ll  and  recog- 
nized for  years  by  the  Trinidad  planter,  and  on  the 
strength  of  this  fact  alone  it  is  doubtful  whether 
any  drying  apparatus  which  will  shorten  the  time 
of  the  operation  in  any  great  degree  will  secure 
general  adoption,  as  it  is  to  be  feared  that  the 
quality  of  the  cacao  will  suffer  if  quickly  dried  ; 
however,  if  it  can  be  proved  that  the  quality  of  the 
produce  does  not  suffer  by  a quick  method  of  dry- 
ing, the  method  will  undoubtely  be  of  the  greatest  ser- 
vice to  the  cacao  planter,  and  experiments  in  this 
direction  are  fully  justified. 
During  the  drying  process  Cacao  has  to  be  fre- 
quently turned,  but  it  appears  to  dry  much  better 
if  kept  in  3 or  4 inch  layers  than  if  spread  more 
thinly  over  the  surface  of  the  drying  floors,  as  it 
does  not  allow  of  so  rapid  an  evaporation  of  the 
watery  particles. 
There  is  then  a notice  of  ths  use  of  red  earth 
to  get  rid  of  the  mucilage  of  the  bean  as  practised 
not  only  in  Venezuela  but  by  some  planters  in 
Trinidad.  No  such  process  has  bean  or  will 
be  adopted  in  Ceylon,  we  should  say.  Dr. 
Hart  states  : — 
It  appears  that  in  Venezuela  the  practise  of  using 
dry-earth  is,  first,  for  the  absorption  of  the  mucilagi- 
nous portions  of  the  covering  of  the  beans,  and 
secondly,  to  give  the  bean  “ colour  and  gloss.” 
In  Trinidad  various  mixtures  are  used  for  colouring 
purposes  and  for  bringing  out  the  polished  appear- 
ance of  the  cacao  ; among  them  may  be  mentioned 
starch,  red  ochre,  roucou  or  annatto,  and  red  earth  or 
clay.  The  red  clay  of  San  Antonio  estate,  Trinidad, 
is  described  by  J.  J.  Bowrey,  Esq.,  f.i.c.,  r.c.s. 
Analyst  to  the  Jamaica  Government,  as  “ a very  fine, 
ferruginous  day  free  from  organic  matter,"  and  is  said 
to  answer  the  purpose  admirably.  Dressing  or  colour- 
ing of  cacao  is  however  more  practised  by  the  mer- 
chants who  purchase  from  the  small  growers  than  by 
the  well-to-do  planter  ; and  cacao  of  finest  quality  and 
appearance  can  be  made  without  the  addition  of  any 
single  particle  of  extraneous  matter. 
We  should  think  so,  but  if  any  colouring 
matter  should  ever  be  resorted  lo,  preference  should 
be  given  to  anatto  which  grows  so  plentifully  in 
Ceylon.  It  is  used  to  colour  butter  and  cheese 
and  is  stated  to  be  perfectly  innocuous.  The 
concluding  paragraphs  of  this  chapter  explain  the 
process  described  by  the  curious  terra  11  dancing  : — 
In  damp  weather  the  partially  dried  bean  is  ex- 
tremely liable  to  be  attacked  by  numerous  microscopic 
fungi  or  moulds,  and  if  these  are  allowed  to  continue 
their  growth  undisturbed  the  coating  of  the  beau 
will  he  pierced  and  its  contents  spoiled.  Various 
measures  are  adopted  in  bad  weather  to  disturb  the 
growth  of  the  mildew,  and  of  these  none  is  more 
familiar  than  the  process  called  “ Dancing.”  The 
cacao  is  collected  in  heaps  and  the  labourers  are 
employed  to  tread  the  heap  with  their  naked  feet. 
The  friction  caused  by  the  treading  removes  the 
mildew  from  the  outside  of  the  beans  and  polishes 
them  at  the  same  time.  Red  earth  is  also  used  to 
“minimise  the  risk  of  mildew,”  and  where  “dancing 
is  not  convenient  “hand  rubbing”  is  resorted  to  for 
the  same  purpose.” 
The  process  of  drying  is  continued  until  the  cacao 
is  thoroughly  dry,  and  only  an  experienced  hand 
can  tell  when  this  point  is  reached. 
Quoting  Mr.  Morris — “ If  well  cured  it  should  have 
the  outer  skin  hard,  crisp  and  separating  easily 
from  the  bean  below.  The  latter  should  be  firm, 
bright,  and  breaking  easily  on  pressure.” 
It  may  be  added  that  a plump  bean  of  a light 
chocolate,  or  what  is  known  as  a “ cinnamon  ” colour, 
is  a mark  of  the  highest  quality  of  cacao,  when 
combined  with  what  is  known  as  “ a good  break.” 
It  would  appear  to  be  held  by  some  that  heat  is 
especially  necessary  to  harden  the  interior  of  the 
bean,  and  that  to  obtain  this  it  is  found  necessary  to 
heap  the  beans,  so  as  to  make  them  undergo  a second 
and  third  fermentation  at  intervals  during  the  drying 
process,  and  it  is  contended  that  without  this  the 
bean  will  often  refuse  to  assume  that  plump  appear- 
ance which  is  held  in  such  high  estimation  by  buyers. 
Having  already  dealt  with  the  chapter  on  the 
botany  and  nomenclature  of  cacao,  we  now  pro- 
ceed to  notice  the  chapter  on  diseases  &c.,  insect 
pests,  fungi,  vegetable  parasites,  epiphytes  and 
other  enemies.  The  diseases  are  stated  to  be 
fortunately  few  and  we  observe  that  belopeltis 
is  not  named  amongst  the  insect  pests.  Canker  in 
the  trees  is  referred  to  unsuitable  soil  and  drainage; 
and  black  ret  in  pods  to  a long  continuance  of 
dry  weather.  Pods  also  drop  in  very  wet  weather. 
The  greatest  enemies  of  the  Trinidad  cacao  planter 
are ; — 
The  Parasol  or  Umbrella  Ant  (CEcodoma  Cephulotcs) 
and  the  Cacao  beetle  Steirastoma  histrionica,  White 
— which  latter  has  been  determined  by  R.  McLachlan, 
Esq.,  F.R.S.,  from  specimens  forwarded  to  us  by 
John  Guilbert,  Esq.,  of  La  Gloria  Estate.  Another 
species  of  this  genus  Steirastoma  dejpressa,  L.,  has 
been  determined  as  seriously  affecting  the  trees  cul- 
tivated in  Grenada,  and  it  is  quite  possible  there  are 
several  other  species  of  Longicornia,  a section  of  Coleop- 
tera,  or  beetles  which  do  damage  to  the  trees. 
The  beetles  do  not  seem  to  be  difficult  to 
deal  with,  but  the  parasol  ant  is  a very  formi- 
dable insect.  Mr.  Haro  states: — - 
The  Parasol  Ant  is  truly  the  Mte  noir  of  the 
Cacao  planter  and  generally  of  the  Agri-Horticul- 
tural  community.  Until  one  becomes  fully  acquainted 
with  the  persistent  depredations  of  this  creature,  it  is 
hard  to  realize  what  an  immense  amount  of  damage 
is  effected  by  it  alone.  So  much  is  this  the  case 
that  the  Legislative  Council  of  Trinidad  lately  passed 
an  Ordinance  which  enables  the  Governor  to  declare 
certain  districts  infested,  and  to  enable  planters  to 
take  means  for  their  destruction. 
