Dr. Oscar Loew 39 



The rise of temperature amounts to about 

 5 C. in twenty-four hours, and after four 

 days the fermenting beans show generally an 

 elevation of 18 to 20 C. above the tempera- 

 ture of the surrounding atmosphere. The 

 more or less rapid rise of temperature in the 

 fermenting pile depends, of course, upon the 

 height of the pile and upon the temperature 

 of the surrounding air. 



The cacao fruit resembles a cucumber in 

 shape, but the form is subject to certain varia- 

 tions. The shell is of violet, red, or yellow 

 colour, sometimes even nearly white, 15 to 25 

 cm. long and 6 to 10 cm. thick. The shape 

 of the seed is more or less round, often 

 laterally compressed or flattened, when it 

 resembles the bean of Phaseolus ; its length 

 varies from 2 to 2*5 cm., the diameter from 

 O'8 to i *8 cm. Between the fleshy and 

 corrugated cotyledons, showing convolutions 

 on the surface, lies the bitter, purple embryo 

 with its white chalaza. The cotyledons of 

 one variety are white in colour. As many 

 as 50 seeds may sxist in one fruit. 1 The 

 loose parenchymatous slimy tissue (pulp) 

 surrounding the testa of the seed appears to 

 be of a similar nature to the tissue forming the 

 soft inner layer of the hard fruit shell. The 

 structure of the entire fruit is somewhat 



1 The average would be below 40, however, including 

 the small and lean beans at the extremities. H. H. S. 



