Dr. Axel Preyer 5 



like ; the beans were left in until the shell 

 became brown, and one was certain that 

 the germ had been killed. The quality of 

 the cacao depends on the degree of ripeness 

 of the fruit and the length of time that the 

 beans are fermented ; beans, when ripe and 

 fermented, separate themselves easily from 

 the surrounding substance and soon dry ; the 

 wine-like liquid is slightly sour and drinkable ; 

 distilled it becomes a sharp spirit, which is 

 inflammable and of pleasant taste." 



Sir William Robinson reports on a method 

 tried in Venezuela. The Conuquero dries his 

 beans by exposing them in the sun for some 

 five or six hours, after which they are fer- 

 mented until the following day, and again 

 exposed for five or six hours in the sun, and 

 so on. Another method, used by the small 

 planters, is to ferment the cacao beans during 

 the evening whilst still warm from the 

 sunning. 



Mr. Strickland 1 recommends the following 

 process : Three stone tanks to be built and 

 cemented, each it ft. (3*35 m.) long, 7 ft. 

 (2*13 m.) broad, and 5 ft. (i'53 m.) deep ; high 

 above these a corrugated iron roof is placed, 

 and below a drain made for the liquid. The 

 broken cacao (i.e., the contents as taken 

 from the pod) remains in the first tank five 



1 Of Trinidad. The originator of the well-known 

 Strickland process of fermentation. H. H. S. 



