December i, 1890.] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
435 
instance, during warm and sunny days from twelve to 
thirty-six hours, but during the rainy season or other 
showery days when the development of fermentation 
in the pod is slow, the duration may extend to as much 
as six or seven days; the exercise cf some judgment is 
required here so as to give the operator a fair start 
to enable him ultimately to achieve success. The next 
is heaping, being easier to hand for the breaking pro- 
cess, the pod IS taken in the left hand and split on both 
sides longitudinally and opened in a somewhat similar 
manner to the shell of an oyster ; the gelatinous con- 
tents are then scooped out and thrown upon plantain 
or fig leaves, which must be elcsely spread upon the 
ground, previously, for the purpose of placing the 
pulpy mass thereon. In care of rain meanwhile, an 
impromptu covering of loaves forms an ample protection 
from wet, which, if not prevented as much as possible 
at this stage, will result rn rotting within a very short 
period of time. 
The principal method of transport of the green cocoa 
from the fields to the fermenting cells is in baskets 
(expressly manufactured for the purpose), carried upon 
the backs of donkeys. Before entering into further 
details of the processes of the fermentation of cocoa, 
I shall describe the manner in which a fermenting 
house should be built ; an oblong square framework of 
any size as may be required and of about ten feet high, 
roofed over with galvanized tiles, the sides of which 
should be concreted up not higher than three feet, 
four inches, sectioned off into three eqnal compartments ; 
a size of eight feet, six inches by lour feet, six inches 
each cell will be found very handy for working pur- 
poses ; about six holes each side of, say, three inches 
diameter should be pierced through each. compartment, 
the lowest three being placed about six inches above 
the floor, while the upper ones should be iilaced about 
eighteen inches up and equally distant ftom the ends 
of the compartment (to secure uniformity of ventilation 
when required). Through and through the holes, 
should be fixed in bamboos, which have been previously 
bored around and about at three inches apart with fths 
of an inch auger holes. The floor should be double, a 
lower one being made of concrete, four inches sp.ace 
left, and then an upper one made of creole wood 
pierced with auger holes forming three-inch squares 
throughout ; both floors being dislied in from the 
sides to the centre at an angle of about thirty degrees ; 
holes being left through the partition and end walls in the 
bottom centre to a’low the watery matter thrown ofi 
by the fermenting cocoa to escape. The (ops of the 
fermenting cells should be provided with tight wooden 
covers hermetically fitted and the framework above 
left open- 
To prevent acidity in the cocoa, which is often 
caused by the chill resulting from its contact with the 
cold sides of the concrete cells, I recommend that short 
lengths of board be fitted in on every side, the 
horizontal holes being cut through so as to allow the 
free pa‘sage of the perforated tubes beforementioned. 
Well, out fermenting (or sweating house, as it is some- 
times called) being finished, wo proceed to fix in our 
perforated tubes, which are then well plugged at each 
end with wooden or clay plugs, to prevent during fer- 
mentation an iniush of atmospheric air exceeding the 
regulated amount required ; tlie lower escape holes are 
also closed and then cell No. 1 is filled up nearly to the 
top with greon coco.r. 
Covering over the mass with plantain or fig loaves 
aids slightly in basteuii g the process of fermentation, 
but this is not an absolute necessity if the wooden 
covers are well and c'osely fitted on and covered over 
with a tarpaulin held in its place by any loose piecei 
of wood at hand. At the end of four and twenty 
hours during warm weather and somewhat longer 
during wet weather, one of the upper aud another of 
the lower ventilating tubes should bo unplugged to 
pirovent a sudden chill, another of the causes of sour- 
ness ill cocoa; tlio unplugging should be done on the 
side away from the direotiou in which the wind 
happens to he blowing at tho t'me, both to allow the 
escape of carbonic acid gas aud also the introduction 
of a thermometer so as then by to bo enabled to 
legulato tho moan teiuporatnro of tho fermeutiug 
cocoa which should not exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit. 
At the end of seventy-two hours all liquid is let off 
from one of the plug holes at bottom, the covor.s 
being unshifted, the operation of an interchange of 
cells takes place. 
Two or more experienced bands armed with wooden 
scoop shovels get inside on top of the now steaming 
cocoa and partly by trampling and rubbing with 
hands, feet and shovels, the whole mass is rubbed 
together and disintegrated, shovelled up and over into 
cell No. 2, which had been previously prepared to 
receive it. No. 1 being properly cleaned and refilled 
with green cocoa, the same precautionary measures, 
now as before, being strictly adhered to, the fermen- 
tation continues ; m cell No. 2 the temperature may 
be allowed to rise as high as 118 degrees Fahrenheit, 
but should not exceed this as otherwise an excess of 
heat may stew, or ultimately result in shrivelling up 
a large number of the beans ; this can always be 
avoided by a uniformity of regulation in the mean 
temperature of the fermenting cells. 
After the cocoa taken from cell No. 1 remains in 
cell No. 2 for another seventy-two hours, this cell i.s 
then opened and here the handling and management 
of the scoop is of prime importance, every portion, 
every grain of the cocoa must be turned over and 
over, while being also handled to sort, or separate 
such as may yet be sticking together during its trans- 
ference over into cell No. 3, No. 2 is cleaned and 
well ventilated, where into the contents of No. 1 is 
transferred, and No. 1, after being also cleaned and 
aired, is filled up again with green cocoa and so on 
to the finishing of the picking on hand. After the 
expirat'on of a further ninety-six hours or about ten 
days in all (being suflScient to complete the process 
of fermentation), and also to render complete the 
metamorphosis of suppressed germination, the cocoa 
is now ready, the weather being favourable for trans- 
ference to ihe curing house. 
PermiUing cocoa to remain co long as from fifteen 
to twenty days undergoing the process of fermenta- 
tion, especially during the latter stage, is merely 
making a choice between fermenting a few days longer 
aud drying a few days less and vice versd." 
The above variety of processes to be carried cut .as 
they are here laid down requires a nearly continuous 
succes.sion of sunshiny days, tor according to atmo- 
spheric changes from warm and dry, to moist or wet, 
so has a'so the fernien*ation of the various qualities 
of cocoa to be regulated ; so that an extension of tho 
fermentation process to nearly three weeks is justi- 
fiable only during the rainy season, or otherwise during 
a continuous succession of rainy days, but great care 
and experience are required to prevent the cocoa from 
being rendered sour, mildewed or irretrievably rotten. 
The above processes of fermentation of cocoa, as 
followed out in the Island of Trinidad in some in- 
stances and adapted to the Criolo and all other quali- 
ties indigenous to our soils (with slight variation) to 
the thin-skinned red and yellow kinds, Ihe duration 
of fernieutatioD, when such is found necessary to be 
done apsrt from the thick-skinned red and yellow 
kinds also, should be shortened by at least six hours 
at each stage ; but here again we have to depend 
much upon atmospheric conditions besides a mixed 
cocoa cultivation. 
Cocoa prepared as above, when sectioned, will be 
found to have developed a rich cinnamon colour, the 
grains will be mealy, plump and fair to look upon, 
the smell pleasant, while not a vestige cf mildew nor 
sourness will be present. 
The advantage of washing cocoa in Trinidad is a 
matter of opinion; lliis question lies principally within 
the domain of the experimentalist ; opinions are divided 
as to its local adoption ; much general gain would 
result in case experiments in this line should prove 
commercially successful for the improvement of the 
quality of cocoa grown here; but to have a cocoa- 
house filled with waslied and wet cocoa, and then to 
be hemmed in by a succession of rainy days extend- 
ing over W 0 I ks together, the consequences following 
therefrom can better be iinugined than described. 
Washing does not recotumeud itsodf either at any eng 
