104 THE AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY OF CACAO. 



In the case of the variety Calabacillo we find that 100 parts of 

 the fresh material submitted to fermentation and curing lose 6-25 

 per cent, of their weight of which 59 is water and 35 organic and 

 -^mineral matters. In the kernels of the beans the loss on 100 parts 

 amounts to 39 4, of which 6*5 parts consist of solid constituents. 



In the variety Forastero, 100 parts of the material submitted 

 to fermentation and curing, yield 35 6 parts of cured cacao a loss 

 of 64-4 per cent, ensuing, of which 55-7 is water and S'7 solid 

 constituents. The kernels of the beans lose 41*3 per cent, durin^ 

 fermentation and curing, of which 8'4 parts are solid constituents. 



It is evident that when submitted to a similar fermentation 

 and curing, beans of the variety Forastero lose a higher propor- 

 tion of their weight than do the small flat beans of Calabacillo. 



In both cases a considerable loss of the albuminoid constituents 

 ensued, with, in the case of Calabacillo, an increase in the indeter- 

 minate nitrogenous matters. In Forastero, a loss of the latter also 

 appeared to have taken place. In both cases we find a loss of the 

 alkaloidal constituents has taken place, this being greater in Calaba- 

 cillo than in Forastero. A marked loss of the sugars has occurred 

 and also of the starch, pectin, gums and digestible fibre, this being 

 much greater in the case of Forastero than in that of Calabacillo. 

 The astringent matters and cacao-red have also decreased in about 

 equal proportions on the two varieties. Little change has taken 

 place in the total quantities of tartaric acid present, but the fer- 

 mented and cured beans contain a small proportion of acetic acid 

 not present in the original material. Both varieties have lost some 

 of the more soluble constituents of their mineral ingredients. 



Comparison of the losses apparently undergone by the whole 

 material submitted to fermentation, and by the kernels of the 

 beans lead to the conclusion that, as might be expected, a certain 

 amount of change in place has occurred in the constituents of the 

 kernels of the beans and the cuticles and pulp. The kernels 

 show a much more marked loss of astringent matters than do 

 the whole beans and to this loss much of the improvement in 

 flavour must probably be due. 



It is also seen by examination of these results that it is proba- 

 ble that during the sweating process slight changes in the position 

 of the constituents of the beans of the two varieties have taken place, 

 leading in some cases to apparent gains of constituents in one or 

 other of the kinds. It was found that the original sample consisted 

 approximately of one-fifth beans of Calabacillo and four-fifth 

 beans of Forastero. 



