December i, 1890.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
347 
But this feature is not gaining ground from the 
obvious superiority of the perfect over the imperfect 
cocoa. Quod Sciam. 
JKssay by Talisman.” 
* * * ■* * « 
Various qualities of cocoa aro grown promiscuously 
in cocoa plantations, therefore they have to be picked 
and fermented altogether. There is no remedy for this 
evil except where a. new cocoa estate is to be formed, 
when the planter can choose the beat quality of cocoa 
to plant, known as the Creole Cocoa and almost 
universally grown in Venezuela. 
2. Fermentation process. — Begin picking cocoa, say 
on a Monday, and ccntirue picking up to Friday, each 
day heaping up the cocoa pods so as to cause a certain 
amount of fermentation ; on the Saturday cut open the 
cocoa pods and put the beaus in large sweating boxes 
covered up well, On the following Saturday take the 
cocoa from the boxes and placa it in the drying hou.ses, 
clean and open it out, then immcdiitely before the gum 
of the cocoa gets dry sprinkle on fine sifted red earth 
and hand-rub occasionally until the cocoa is dry, then 
it can be sacked ready icr shipment, but care must be 
taken not to bag it before the cocoa is perfectly cool. 
This is the process adopted on the 6'a/t Antonio estate 
which rsalizes the first market lorice. 
3. Another process. — Ferment the cocoa as described 
in paragraph 2 for three days, then take it out of the 
boxes, stir thoroughly, and put it back covered up well, 
giviug it further fermentation for three days ; tlien 
take it from the boxes and open it out in the drying 
houses, rub it occasionally until dry, but do ttot sprinkle 
on any red earth as mentioned iu paragraph 2. This 
seconu process is commonly carried out on all the 
largo estates, and obtains the second best price in the 
Loudou markets. 
4. Another process. — Pick the cocoa and ferment it 
in boxes or simply cover it up in a large luap for four 
days and open it out for drying ; hand-rub each morn- 
ing, then sack it. This mode IS practised by the small 
cocoa proprietors, 
5. Another process. — Each day you pick ; in the 
evening open the pods and t-ike the beans to the sweat- 
ing house, cover up well, addiug each subsequent day’s 
pnekiug to the first. Do this fur three days succes.sively, 
every evening mixing up the cocoa and covering up well. 
On the mormi g of the fourth day put the cocoa in the 
dryiug-houso ; clean and rub. Iu the evening gather up 
the cocoa iu a largo heap, then cover it so as to exclude 
air. Continue this process alternately drying and fer- 
menting for three days and nights — that is, three days’ 
drying a ml three nights’ sweating. On the morning of 
the fourth day take about forty pods of cocoa and open 
out in about three buckets of water, wash out all the 
juice and take that water and throw over the cocoa iu 
the drying-house, slice up the pods and put them to 
soak in water. On the fifth morning after the cocoa 
has had another niglits’s swiatiug, open cut for drying, 
Bkim off the gum fiom the pods that were put to soak, 
take tho gum, apply to the cocoa and rub well ; but 
before the gum is dry sprinkle on sifted red earth or red 
oclire and hand-rub occasionally until the cocoa is dry. 
On the morning of the sixth day get some good quality 
of butter, wash out all the salt thoroughly and rub the 
cocoa with it. About three cents worth of butter is 
Bullioieut to each bag ; the butter win give the cocoa 
an agreeable perfume without destroying the chocolate 
aroma, aud will prevent mildew, one of the greatest 
enemies that cocoa planters aud shippers have to 
contend against. 
tj. To geuerafe fermentation in hard, green, uufer- 
meuted cocoa, take about three to live bags according 
to the quantity in hand, wash aud dry it; got about 
forty pods of co oa ami f .)low the process explained in 
paragraph five, but witli this ditforeiico ; put the cocoa 
iu a sweating box, saturate with cocoa juice and cover 
up well to cause fermeutation. Tho mxt morning 
repeat the process, mix up tho cocoa and ngaiu cover 
to cause fermeutation. In the morniug of the fourth 
day put it out to dry aud continue the process explained 
in paragraph live iu regard to alternate drying ami 
Bweatiug, adding iu this ease a very small quautity of 
good molasses to the cocoa gum skimmed from the cocoa 
pods by proces.s described iu paragraph five. 
7. Artificial Process by Steaming. — Take the 
beaus of tho cocoa fresh from the field with the 
pulp on and put them into large copper.s, first 
taking care to line the interiors of the coppers with 
plaintain leaves in order that the cocoa should not touch 
the metal; th' ow in one or two buckets of juice from 
the pulp of the cocoa with a little water as described in 
paragraph five. To generate steam add a few bay 
leaves, if at hand, cover the cocoa to exclude air aud 
put fire under the coppers, heating slowly and examin- 
ing tho cocoa now and then (o see that tbe lire is not 
too hot and crocking the shells of the beaus. At the 
expir.ation of from two to three hours it will be found 
that tho cocoa beans have become round and full, with 
a good red colour externally. Withdraw the fire and 
cool down, then put into the drying-house, employ- 
ing Ihr alternate drying and fermenting process 
explained in paragraph 6. This artificial steaming and 
fermenting is certainly the most expeditious, taking a 
few hours only, instead of days, and it can be accom- 
plished with a few cheap appliances, and the fire can 
be connected without much ingenuity to a drying 
apparatus if required iu wet weather. 
Appendix. 
(A.) Properly fermented cocoa by the proco.sses 
described iu jiaragniphs 2, 3 aud 5 has a sweet chocolate 
state, nice aroma aud a pretty cinnamon colour when 
the lean is broken. It has more faity matter than 
inferior cocoa. 
{B.j If planters were to apply to our well-known and 
energetic Botanist, Mr. J. H. Hart, I am certain that 
they would got assistanos from him by advice as to the 
best quality of cocoa to be planted, and iu a few years 
tho new plantations would yield the best quality of 
cocoa, and fermentation would become easier. 
(0.) The mole of fermenting cocoa as described in 
paragraph 5 is from my experience the best way of 
curing cocoa, the alternate drying and sweating causing 
every beau to be of the same quality, *ho interior 
having a liue ciiiiiamou colour with an aromatic smell, 
aud the exterior au uniform red colour and is heavier 
than when fermented by the other processes. 
(D.) As ail example that the renovated cocoa may 
take a price equal to go id fermeuted cocoa, I may 
mention that iu the year 1881 1 shipped fifteen bags of 
cocoa of the fame estate brand for trial — five of the 
process described iu paragrapih 3 aud live of that des- 
cribed in paragraph 4, and also five of the renovated 
cocoa described in paragrapib 6, putting a private mark 
on each lot of five bags amt writing to ask my agent iu 
London to sell them separately. I was astonished to 
find that the renovated cocoarealized the highest price, 
viz : 80 sliillings jier cwt., the other two processes reali- 
zing one or two shillings less. 
(A.) The application of butter to cooon for the 
preveulion of mildew as described iu paragraph 5 may 
excite the risibility of some persons, but 1 have tt'sted 
it well ; and cocoa that has had butter judiciously 
rubbed on cau be shipped without fear of mildew to 
any cold or damp climate. The milk of the cow 
must have some latent virtues antagonistic to the 
little g.--rms or microbes which infest damp cocoa. 
This mildew is called grey cocoa iu tho Loudou 
markets, and is rated at the lowest price. 
(7’’.) One of the evils prevalent on cocoa plantations 
is the picking of unripe cocoa ; the beans are hard, 
fiat and green and caiiuot be properly feimeuted. If 
these beans are not carefully separated from the good, 
as is done on the Han Antonio estate, there is a cer- 
tainty of deterioration iu the market value. Tho 
cheapest method is to separate the umipe fruits from 
the lipe in the field ; heap and cover the uuripe 
fruit whilst iu ihe pod aud break open after eight 
dajs; bag niid sell to the chocolate manufacturers iu 
the island. Uocoa planters are geuerally penny wise 
and pound foolish in engaging inexperienced men at 
low rates of wages to pick cocoa. These uudiscipliuod 
bauds not only pick a great quantity of uuripe cocoa, 
but do a great deal of damage to tho cocoa troos* 
