i 5 6 



According to Semler* the following are the weights of I0O 

 cocoa beans from various countries : — 



TABLE II. 

 Kind. Weight in grams. 



Trinidad ordi nar y 

 fine^j j 

 „ extra-fine 

 Grenada, fine 

 Caracas 

 Dominique 

 Surinam fine 

 Bahia 

 Mexican 

 African 



98 

 123 '2 



1787 

 I3IO 



1303 

 IIOO 

 1220 

 Il80 

 1365 

 128-5 



Semler concludes that the average weight of a cocoa bean is 

 about I "2 grams ; a comparison of the weight of the seeds from 

 varieties grown in any country should always be made. Regard- 

 ing weight only, the Caracas and Nicaraguan varieties in Ceylon 

 compare favourably, but the inferiority of the Amelonado and 

 Forastero types is equally pronounced. 



PROPORTION OF INTEGUMENT AND KERNELS. 



This is an important subject in connection with seed selection 

 and is well worthy of consideration. The integuments of beans 

 of the Caracas or Nicaraguan varieties are usually, but not always, 

 thinner than those of the Amelonado or Forastero types, and the 

 proportionate weight of integument to kernel is usually lowest in 

 the round plump samples. Actual weighings show very contra- 

 dictory results owing to the variable amount of pulp, absorbed 

 moisture, and dirt attached to the outer surface of the integument. 



The following table shows the average proportionate weight of 

 the integuments and kernels of different varieties of 100 cured 

 cacao beans at Peradeniya : — 



TABLE III. 



Weight of 

 kernels only. 



Weight of 

 integuments. 



Total 



weight. 



Per centage 



weight of 

 integuments. 



Caracas 



Forastero-Cundeamor 



Amelonado 



H6'2 grams. 

 1030 „ 

 94 7 „ 



10 '8 grams. 

 10-3 „ 

 103 „ 



127 grams. 

 1 1 3 3 „ 

 105 



8-5 

 90 



98 



The integuments on badly washed or dirty beans vary consider- 

 ably in weight, and in many such samples the proportionate 

 weight of the integuments around Caracas beans is higher than 

 that around clean beans of the Amelonado type. 



According to the researches of Girard, Heisch, and Zipperer, the 

 ratio of the weight of integuments to that of the beans from differ- 

 ent countries is as given in the following table ; the figures by 

 Heisch are for the final product and the others for the raw 

 beans : — 



Le Cacaoyer, H. Jumelle, p. 40. 



