Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe 117 



On the plantations in Samoa, Ceylon, and 

 other countries growing a similar variety of 

 cacao, drying on floors suffices for the produc- 

 tion of quite a good type of produce. This 

 particular variety may only be slightly acidified 

 and requires a shorter time for oxidation than 

 is necessary elsewhere, say in the Cameroons, 

 for instance. Above all, the cacao must not be 

 allowed to remain in heaps for several days, 

 if it is only partially dried. As soon as the 

 beans have reached a stage where they only 

 contain about 15 per cent, of moisture, the still 

 warm cacao must be piled together in heaps, 

 or put into boxes. The beans need only be 

 kept warm for a comparatively short time in 

 order to reach the desired degree of oxidation. 



I have several times handled Samoa cacao, 

 in which the fine aromatic bitter taste had 

 been completely lost owing to over acidification 

 or oxidation. Just as it is exceedingly im- 

 portant to preserve the fine aroma or flavour 

 of teas grown at higher altitudes, since possess- 

 ing this enables them to sell at prices higher 

 than those realized by the stronger teas grown 

 in the plains, so in the case of Samoa cacao, 

 and others of a similar kind, it is important 

 to fully develop and preserve the pleasant 

 aromatic taste they contain, for just as the finer 

 qualities of tea are mixed with the stronger 

 sorts in order to obtain a palatable marketable 

 article, so are these finer quality cacaos used 

 for blending with other kinds of a stronger 



