COCOA 181 



attention of Government, and considerable progress has 

 been made in instructing the native farmers in more 

 rational practice. Every year shows a marked improve- 

 ment in the management of the farms and in the quality 

 of the product. 



It has not to be forgotten that cocoa is a crop which 

 was quite unknown to the natives, and had never been 

 seen growing elsewhere except by a very few whose 

 duties as artisans had taken them to Fernando Po and 

 St. Thome. They have had everything to learn, there- 

 fore, for themselves, and the way many of them have 

 taken advantage of every facility for instruction afforded 

 and are endeavouring to improve their methods reflects 

 considerable credit on themselves and augurs well for 

 the industry as a whole. 



The cultivation and preparation of cocoa calls for more 

 care and attention than the Gold Coast native has been 

 accustomed to with any crop he has hitherto grown. 

 Indeed, the production of a high-grade quality cocoa 

 partakes of the nature of a scientific achievement, and 

 is not yet even thoroughly understood by many Euro- 

 peans engaged in cocoa planting. The question of 

 fermentation is imperfectly understood, and the best 

 methods by which this may be achieved are still a matter 

 of considerable discussion. No hard-and-fast rule can 

 be laid down with regard to the period of fermentation 

 required to produce thoroughly fermented beans, since 

 a great deal depends on the state of the seeds when they 

 are first put to ferment, the ripeness of the pods, the 

 length of time that has elapsed since they have been 

 collected, the state of the weather at the time, and the 

 receptacle in which fermentation is brought about. How- 

 ever, in dealing with a native community we must 

 advocate some definite period, and our experience on 

 the Gold Coast has shown us that fermentation for a 

 period of six days invariably gives the best results. A 

 few days longer does not appear materially to affect the 

 quality if the fermenting mass is frequently stirred or 

 turned. 



The variety of cocoa grown almost exclusively is the 

 oval-shaped Forastero type, " Amelonado " variety, the 

 beans of which require a longer fermentation than almost 



