224 The Fermentation of Cacao 



carry on its vital processes ; the formation of 

 alcohol as it accumulates becomes detrimental 

 to the cell. 



Again, if a small fragment is taken from 

 the pulp in a mass of sweating cacao, smeared 

 upon a microscopical glass slide, stained and 

 examined under the microscope, a large 

 number of yeast cells are seen in their various 

 stages of growth and budding (fig. i, A); besides 

 these, a number of rod-shaped bodies, minute 



SMEAR FROM CACAO SHOWING INVOLUTING YEASTS. 



^^-___-^^ 



FIG. i. A, yeast cells, among which are other organisms; 

 B, group of acetic acid producing bacilli. 



dots, or elongated organisms are also noticed 

 (fig. i, B). These vary in number according to 

 the stage of sweating ; in the early stages they 

 are usually few in number, in the later stages 

 there are many of them. If we compare this 

 yeast with baker's it will be found that they 

 differ from one another in shape, size, and 

 general appearance. 



