ACROSS UNKNOWN SOUTH AMERICA 
skin, the desiccation, if the weather is propitious, takes 
place in a few days. Care must be taken to move the 
berries constantly, so that they dry evenly on all sides, 
as perfect desiccation is necessary in order to preserve 
the coffee in good condition after it is packed for 
shipment. 
There are two ways of preparing coffee for export: 
the humid and the dry. In the humid process the berries 
are placed in a special machine called despolpadore , which 
leaves the beans merely covered and held together in 
couples by the membrane immediately enclosing them 
after the skin and viscous, sugary coating have been 
removed. Those coffees are called in commerce lavados, 
or washed. 
The dry process consists in removing part of the pulp 
and membrane in a special machine and a series of venti¬ 
lators after the berries have been skinned and dried. They 
are then quite ready for export. 
The preparation of coffee from the drying terraces 
is slightly more complicated. The coffee passes through a 
first ventilator, which frees it from impurities such as 
earth, stems, stones, filaments, etc.; from this it is con¬ 
veyed by means of an elevator into the descascador, where 
the membrane is removed. Subsequently it passes through 
a series of other ventilators, which eliminate whatever 
impurities have remained and convey the coffee into a 
polishing machine (brunidor ). There the coffee is sub¬ 
jected to violent friction, which not only removes the last 
atoms of impurity, but gives the beans a finishing polish. 
The coffee is then ready for the market. 
I spent a most instructive day inspecting the fazenda 
of Conselheiro Antonio Prado and having things clearly 
explained by his intelligent overseer, Mr. Henrique P. 
Ribeiro. 
From that place I drove across country for miles and 
miles, through endless groves of coffee trees, as far as the 
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