270 The Fermentation of Cacao 



legislative enactments become necessary to 

 prevent cacao thefts, it will surely be sufficient 

 if the traffic in fresh cacao be controlled by 

 demanding certificates of origin. 1 



The proportional weight of fresh to cured 

 and dried cacao will vary considerably accord- 

 ing to the variety of cacao and the country in 

 which it is grown ; also, Messrs. Mackinnon 

 and Co. inform us, according to the machine 

 used. This firm claims that its machines 

 effectually dry the produce, cacao or coffee, 

 with the minimum loss in weight. In the 

 Cameroons the cacao produced is principally 

 of the Forastero type, and in that case 100 

 parts of fresh beans yield 45 to 50 parts of 

 dried cacao. 



The best cacao is undoubtedly obtained by 

 sun-drying. It will, however, be impossible, 

 except in a few instances, to do -without 

 artificial drying plants. 



Theoretically a plant constructed on the 

 principle of bringing the produce into contact 

 with opposing currents of air (Gegenstroui) 

 should be the cheapest to work. The diffi- 

 culty is, however, that the cacao dries very 

 irregularly. The individual beans adhere to 

 one another, and at the points of contact the 



1 I believe the German methods of handling and 

 punishing the natives living under their authority are 

 capable of rendering many laws to be unnecessary 

 which we, in our own Colonies, have thought better to 

 put into force. H. H. S. 



