Dr. Axel Preyer 19 



that neither in the total exclusion of living 

 organisms in general, nor in the absence of 

 yeast cells, do the known phenomena of 

 fermentation take place ; at the most it is only 

 with the presence of bacteria that the forma- 

 tion of acidity or decomposition follows. Of 



a. 



d. 



THE SHELL OF A RIPE CACAO BEAN FORASTERO 

 VARIETY FROM CEYLON. Mag. x 70. 



a, Epidermis ; b, fibrous tissue with chlorophyll-bearing 

 cells ; <:, stone cells ; d, compressed chlorophyll cells contain- 

 ing pulp ; , cells containing pulp. 



course, in the case of fresh cacao beans which 

 are exposed by the exclusion of air organisms, 

 a darker brown colouring soon takes place, but 

 that is all ; further changes do not take place 

 either in the colour of the cotyledons or in the 

 bitter taste ; the pulp also is not so easily 

 washed away as in well-fermented beans. . 



