40 FERMENTATION. 



passage or outlet pierced by the radicle would be much more 

 rapid, but the testa being once pierced by the radicle, opens the 

 way to easy destruction of the contents, by giving access to 

 the spores of microscopic fungi, and the produce is never of first 

 class quality. 



Probably the most important of the underlying principles 

 of the different methods of " Fermentation" is that which 

 creates a certain amount of absorption through the testa or skin 

 of the bean, which is secured by most methods. A 

 certain amount of heat is required, some make use of sun heat, 

 while others use the heat of fermentation induced in various 

 ways, while others again use both. Small quantities are best 

 fermented by being put into a tin vessel and then exposed to 

 the sun to start the fermentation. Although the methods to 

 obtain good results, are known by practice to every intelligent 

 Cacao planter, yet formerly there was much guessing at the 

 quantity and quality of material used to obtain these results. 

 Now that we have Professor Harrison's analyses and actually 

 know what the beans contain before and after fermentation, it 

 will be possible after some further trial and experiment to decide 

 which process of fermentation produces the best results. 



In Aublet's " Plantes de la Guiane" I find the process of 

 fermenting the produce of Theobroma Guianensis, AubL, given 

 in the following words : 



Pour conserver Vamande du Cacao, lorsque le fruit est dans 

 sa par/aite maturite, Von rassemble aupres d'une cuve la rjcolte 

 qu'on en a faite ; on coupe par le travers la capsule en deux 

 portions pour en tirer toute la substance, et les amandes qu'ette 

 contient, qu'on verse ensemble dans le cuve. Cette substance sous 

 vingt-quatre heures entre en fermentation, ensuite se liquefie et 

 dement vineuse. On laisse les amandes dans cette liqueur 

 jusqu'a ce que leur membrane ait bruni et quon reconnoisse qu& 

 leur germe soit mart ; car la bonte du chocolo.t depend en partiz 

 de la maturite du fruit et du degre de fermentation que ramande 

 a e"prouve'e par ce procede. Les amandes se separent avec facility 

 de la substance qui les enveloppait, et sechant bientdt. La liqueur, 

 vineuse est un peu acide et banne a boire ; mise dans un alambic^ 

 et distillee, elle donne un esprit ardent, enflammable et d'un bon 

 gout. 



Freely translated this will read : 



To preserve the kernel of the Cacao, the fruit, when ripe, is cut in 

 halves, and the kernels it contains are thrown together into a vat. Thft 

 substance surrounding the kernels ferments within twenty-four hours.' 1 

 fcthen liquefies, and becomes sour. The kernels are left in this liquor until 

 l m the membranes have become brown, and the germ is known to 



