n6 The Fermentation of Cacao 



non-existent. The methods in use, therefore, 

 are empirical, and under such circumstances 

 it is a little doubtful whether one ought to 

 publish anything about a scientific method for 

 carrying out the work, and indicate how the 

 oxidation process I have described, may be 

 substituted for the methods of fermenting and 

 drying the beans at present in general use, as 

 by doing so one runs the risk of the essential 

 principles of the process not being sufficiently 

 understood, and this might prevent the work 

 from being properly carried out. If, therefore, 

 in spite of this, I still give some directions, 

 I only do so in order that some of the planters 

 may be enabled to carry out the necessary 

 experiments. I should, however, like to warn 

 my readers against being over-hasty in arriving 

 at conclusions from the results they obtain if 

 these do not work out exactly as they desired 

 or expected. What should be done is to intro- 

 duce the process on one plantation in each 

 colony, a scientific expert specially trained to 

 the work being engaged to assist, and only 

 when these two, the scientist and the planter, 

 together have thoroughly mastered the pro- 

 cess, to then introduce it generally to the other 

 estates. In order that advice might be at hand 

 when required, an expert as described above 

 should be permanently appointed to, and reside 

 in the colony, with a suitably equipped scien- 

 tific institute placed at his disposal, in which 

 further investigations and experiments could 

 be carried out and checked. 



