The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1896-07-14

regard to the construction or pulplng
house, mill etc.
The former should consist of three
| stories. the cisterns, the pulper floor
and the cherry loft. The dimensions
must be regulated by the size and area
of the plantation.
The cisterns should be at least three
in number-although four IS better
two receiving or fermenting cisterns
and one for washing purposes. This
latter is necessary even in cases where
a washer" is employed, TO provide
means for handling parchment in the
event of continued wet weather during
drying operations. In such. cases the
washed parchment must be kept in the
large cistern, with a constant small
stream of water running through the
coffee. In locations where water is
scarce this can be pumped back for
further use.
The capacity of the cisterns must
also be regulated by the area under
cultivation, by the largest amount OF
cherry likely to be picked in one day.
Roughly speaking, one cubic foot of
cistern accommodation should repre-
sent one box" of cherry.
The cisterns can be made of either
wood or cement; the former is prefer
able in some cases.
The mill can be erected on any plan,
and of material to suit the require
ments of the plantation.
1t should consist of not less than
three stories, machinery and bugging
room on first floor, and the upper por-
lions for the storage of parchments,
etc, the floors of which should be con-
structed of battens on top of the joists,
spaced at / 1-2 to inches apart, and
covered with wire gauze or coir mat
ting. The joists should be left open at
both ends of the building, in order to
permit a current of air to circulate un-
der the floor and through the parch-
ment.
The dimensions of the building will
depend upon the crops likely to be har-
vested; but for plantation of from
$50 to 500 acres of coffee should be at
least from 20x60 feet to 3Ox1O0 feet, or
any other dimensions to suit the site;
but ought to afford a drying floor sur
face of $500 to 5000 sup. feet.
The building may be constructed of
rough lumber and rooted with IRON but
the storage floors must be thoroughly
ventilated from top to bottom with a
sufficient number of latticed windows,
or other contrivance, fitted in such a
manner as not to admit of any rain
during a storm.
The drying grounds, as previously
stated, can be supplied in many differ
ent ways. In this country, however.
where cement work is exceedingly
costly, and as the surface requires to
be of considerable area, the system
of trays commends itself as the one
best adapted to suit all requirements
Besides possessing the advantage in re-
gard to sudden showers, it also allows a
better and more uniform drying of the
parchment, from the fact of the air
circulating through the bottom, which
can be either wire gauze or "rat-proof
screen"
The parchment when once placed on
the trays need never be handled again.
except by raking, until ready for pull
ing, when it can be readily and rapidly
emptied into suitable recepticles. The
above plan obviates all danger of the
parchment being broken and removed,
by continual handling, which would be
the case by any other process, and
moreover affects great saving in time
and labor.
I will only add in conclusion that the
coffee enterprise in these Islands has a
grand future before it.
The area now under cultivation is
increasing rapidly year by year, and
there are thousands of acres available
for successful culture.
The plantations in the district of
Olaa are maintained in magnificent
shape and the coffee trees are looking
healthy and vigorous, and make a re-
markable growth for their age. 1t is
only question of very short time
when the results from the enterprise
in the Hawaiian Islands will be an es-
tablished fact; and the product will be
able to compete with other coffees in
the market, to be eventually quoted as
standard grade. AULD REEKIE.