Dr. Lucius Nicholls 247 



would be sufficient for the preparation of one 

 hundred bags of cured beans. 



By taking samples each time for the prepara- 

 tion of the next yeast the required ferment 

 could be kept going indefinitely ; but it would 

 be better to obtain a pure sample for the pre- 

 paration from a laboratory. 



It now has been shown that if cacao is to be 

 sweated upon scientific principles, the proper 

 fermenting organisms must be supplied, for in 

 this way a definite and thorough fermentation 

 will always take place. 



There has been much discussion as to what 

 is really required in the finished product, which 

 is placed upon the market ; here the decision 

 obviously rests with the manufacturers and 

 those who buy for them : however, it is for the 

 planter and scientist to point. out all probable 

 possibilities to them. 



From the nature of the case the changes 

 which can be brought about in the interior of 

 the bean by fermentation have very strict 

 limitations. There seems to have been a 

 desire to get rid of the bitter principle ; this 

 appears unnecessary, as it is easily dealt with 

 by the manufacturers, and can only be removed 

 in the whole bean by carrying fermentation to 

 the stage of putrefaction : that is, when the 

 organisms themselves are acting in the interior 

 of the bean and not their enzymes only, as 

 should be the case in fermentation. 



Again, when putrefaction takes place and 



