130 The Fermentation of Cacao 



The Fermentation of Tobacco. 



In connection with my investigations regard- 

 ing cacao and coffee fermentation, I made 

 some experiments on tobacco fermentation 

 in Germany. Unfortunately I have not had 

 any opportunity of becoming acquainted with 

 tobacco fermentation carried out on a large 

 scale. To judge by the results I have obtained 

 in my investigations into the fermentation of 

 indigo, tea, cacao, and coffee, I think myself 

 justified in assuming that in the case of tobacco 

 too much importance is also attributed to fer- 

 ments. I was indeed of the opinion that in the 

 case of the fermentation of tobacco, as with 

 the other products, the oxygen in the air plays 

 the most important role, and that the packing 

 together of the nearly dried leaves in heaps 

 has for its aim the production of a temperature 

 suitable for the process of oxidation. I fur- 

 ther gathered that the packing and repack- 

 ing (umpacken) of the heaps was not only 

 done in order to avoid both the production 

 of too high a temperature as well as the 

 formation of butyric acid and moulds, but also 

 in order to bring the leaves into contact with 

 the oxygen of the air. . The heating of the 

 tobacco heaps is, of course, brought about by 

 the influence of micro-organisms, and it is the 

 sole object of the process just described to 

 bring this about, i.e., to raise the temperature. 

 If the leaves contain too much moisture, 

 too great acidification sets in, and if there 



