2O2 The Fermentation of Cacao 



obtaining an efficient vacuum (which is the 

 generally expressed objection to this system) 

 has not been found a prohibitive factor or 

 even one entailing difficulty. It may be 

 imagined that this process of evaporating, or 

 concentrating in vacuum, is a new and untried 

 one, but as a matter of fact hardly any sugar 

 factory is complete without a vacuum dryer or 

 concentrating pan. I have before me a list of 

 the manufactures in which the vacuum pro- 

 cess is used, but I fear it is much too long to 

 inflict on my readers ; it may be said to 

 comprise nearly all the vegetable products of 

 the world, and of its economy as regards fuel, 

 labour, time, space, supervision, and money, in 

 comparison with all other systems of drying 

 and concentrating, not a doubt can exist. 



In 1908 the writer arranged for a cacao- 

 drying trial in vacuum in his presence at the 

 works of Messrs. George Scott and Co., Ltd., 

 London. Two barrels of -nearly ripe cacao 

 pods were sent to England in the cold-air 

 chamber of a Royal Mail steamer, and arrived 

 in good condition. The seeds were then 

 soaked in water, drained, and placed in a 

 vacuum dryer made by that firm. A vacuum 

 varying from 28 to 28^- was established, and 

 the interior heat was regulated to 95 to 100 F. 

 Two trials were made, and in each the dryer 

 was opened after five hours, when the cacao 

 was found to be slightly over-dried. Consider- 

 ing the cacao had not undergone regular fer- 



