140 The Fermentation of Cacao 



In answer to query No. 2 : Does the fer- 

 mentation require the admittance of air ? 



Four cylinders were filled, each with 4 kilos 

 of cacao. Each of the cylinders had a tube 

 attached to allow of the drainage to run away. 



Cylinders Nos. i and 2 were open at the top, 

 and drilled bamboo canes pushed in between 

 the cacao, so that a sufficient quantity of air 

 could penetrate. Cylinders Nos. 3 and 4 were 

 tightly closed. 



After a time the contents of cylinders Nos. i 

 and 2 duly began to ferment, while the cacao 

 in cylinders Nos. 3 and 4 began to decompose ; 

 this experiment was repeated several times, 

 but each time the air was excluded the fer- 

 mentation ceased and the cacao commenced to 

 decompose. 



This test therefore proves that the fermen- 

 tation process requires the admittance of air. 



In the laboratory the best fermented cacao 

 was obtained from the baskets, as they were 

 open all round, and the air could thus penetrate 

 freely, and in studying the process of fermen- 

 tation on the plantations, it appears that with 

 large heaps the top layer ferments the best, 

 and that the bottom of the heap, where the air 

 cannot penetrate, does not ferment at all. 



It is thus proved that turning over the heaps, 

 that is to say, transferring them from the one 

 sweating-box to another, whereby the layer 

 that is at the top goes to the bottom, is not 

 without good reason ; in fact it is necessary in 



