152 



METHODS OF FERMENTATION 



does not compensate i'or the extra cost of labour and 

 apparatus involved. 



Most of the San Thome cocoa plantations contain at 

 least six distinct kinds of cocoa. As no care is taken 

 either to separate these types in the field or to ferment 

 the different types separately, the cured product is 

 somewhat mixed in character. 



Experiments were conducted by the writer in San 

 Thome with a view to ascertaining the loss in weight sus- 

 tained by five of these varieties during fermentation. The 

 beans from 100 fruits of each variety were fermented 

 for four days, then washed and dried ; they were weighed 

 both previous to fermentation and also when cured. The 

 results obtained are given below : 



