No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 671 



The oil that filters through the canvas forms cocoa butter. From 

 the residue left iu the bags breakfast cocoa is prepared which will 

 be described hereafter. 



Cocoa butter is an interesting and somewhat unique fat, both in 

 its physical and chemical ju'operties. It is, when fresh, slightly yel- 

 lowish in color and possessed of the agreeable odor and taste of choc- 

 olate. At ordinary temperature it is quite hard and brittle, but 

 readily melts in the mouJli or when rubbed between the Sogers. The 

 readiness with which it changes from a hard brittle mass to a liquid 

 oil is one of its peculiarities and disiinguishes it from many other 

 fats. On account of the comparatively high price which cocoa 

 butter commands, it is not only itself subject to adulteration, but 

 other fats are also sometimes substituted in part for it in chocolate 

 and chocolate ca-udies. 



The adulterants of cocoa butter commonly mentioned in the text 

 books are beef or mutton tallow, paratlin wax, beeswax, stearic acid, 

 copraol (a fat prepared froju palm nut oil) [H^anut oil, almond oil, 

 sesame oil, cocoanut oil and lard. 



The following table gives the most important characteristics of 

 pure cocoa butter, and of such fats and oils as may be of interest 

 in this connection. The figures given therein are copied from Lew- 

 kowitsch and other authorities except those marked by a star which 

 are given from determinations made by myself or my assistant Mr. 

 C. S. Brinton: 



