x. The Fermentation of Cacao 



Great strides have been made of late years 

 in the quality of the beans exported from the 

 Gold Coast, but, in face of the improvements 

 introduced in Grenada cacao since that island 

 came to the front as a leading exporting 

 centre, one can still see that there is much 

 room for improvement in the African beans at 

 times, and I anticipate seeing a steady and 

 continuous levelling-up in its quality as regards 

 evenness, colour, and general appearance until 

 it can compete in external appearance with San 

 Thome and leave it behind for flavour, aroma, 

 and freedom from t hamminess. But there is 

 much to be done before this is achieved, as 

 was forcibly driven home to my notice the 

 other day when valuing some lots from the 

 Gold Coast, the beans of which were most 

 miserable. Mouldy, greyish, lean, small, ill- 

 kempt and ill-cured, they reminded me, in 

 comparison to a lot of Costa Ricas close by, 

 of a heaped-up pile of natives -who had died of 

 starvation in India and were awaiting crema- 

 tion, contrasted with the soldiers of one of the 

 Rajput regiments that came down into LJdai- 

 pur to welcome the King and Queen when 

 as Prince and Princess of Wales they visited 

 India. 



The following, therefore, subscribed to our 

 fund, and so enabled us first to offer a prize 

 of ^"50 for the best essay on the " Fermenta- 

 tion of Cacao," and then to engage such able 

 men as Mr. William Fawcett, B.Sc., F.L.S., 



