78 COCOA AND CHOCOLATE 



drying. Some come from mould. Unfermented cacao is liable 

 to go mouldy, so is germinated or over-ripe cacao with broken 

 shells. Some cacao unfortunately gets wet with sea water. 

 There always seems to me something pathetic in the thought 

 of finely-cured cacao being drowned in sea water as it goes out 

 in open boats to the steamer. 



planter : You see, we havn't piers and jetties everywhere, and 

 often it's a long journey to them. Well, you've told me the 

 buyers note break, colour and aroma. Anything else ? 



manufacturer : They like large beans, partly because largeness 

 suggests fineness, and partly because with large beans the per- 

 centage of shell is less. Small flat beans are very wasteful and 

 unsatisfactory ; they are nearly all shell and very difficult to 

 separate from the shell. 



planter : When there's a drought we can't help ourselves ; we 

 produce quantities of small flat beans. 



manufacturer : It must be trying to be at the mercy of the weather. 

 However, the weather doesn't prevent the dirt being picked out 

 of the beans. Buyers don't like more than half a per cent, of 

 rubbish ; I mean stones, dried twig-like pieces of pulp, dust, 

 etc., left in the cacao, neither do they like to see " cobs," that 

 is, two or more beans stuck together, nor . 



planter : How about gloss ? 



manufacturer : The beauty of a polished bean attracts, although 

 they know the beauty is less than skin deep. 



planter : And washing ? 



manufacturer : In my opinion washing is bad, leaves the shell too 

 fragile. I believe in Hamburg they used to pay more for washed 

 beans ; although very little, I suppose less than five per cent., 

 of the world's cacao is washed, but in London many buyers 

 prefer " the great unwashed." However, brokers are con- 

 servative, and would probably look on unwashed Ceylon with 

 suspicion. 



planter : Well, I have been very interested in everything that you 

 have said, and I think every planter should strive to produce 

 the very best he can, but he does not get much encouragement. 



manufacturer : How is that ? 



planter : There is insufficient difference between the price of the 

 best and the common. 



manufacturer : Unfortunately that is beyond any individual manu- 

 facturer's control. The price is controlled by the European 

 and Xew York markets. I am afraid that as long as there is so 



