XX. The Fermentation of Cacao 
organism is met regularly on the cacao in the 
sweating-boxes. In his description the author 
avoids deciding (é2¢., is too sober in order to 
decide) whether these organisms are a yeast 
mixture or a single species. The discovery 
that the yeast mixture cultivated from cacao 
which has been fermented in the right way, 
when transferred to new sweating-boxes or 
to cacao that has been indifferently (22, 
irregularly) fermented, improves the cacao 
it is transferred to, is of great importance, for 
the resultant cacao, cured with this ferment or 
yeast, is decidedly of a higher market value. 
This. fact alone is of such importance that I am 
quite willing to overlook weaker portions of 
the essay, such as including the results of a 
chemical examination without giving the 
analyses from which these conclusions are 
theobvome, Preyer—in fermenting Ceylon cacao. The 
name, therefore, had already been given to it. From 
Dr. Preyer’s article in Dev Tropenpflanzer, of Berlin 
(1g01), or the translation of this important treatise 
published in Tvopical Life in 1909-1910, and now forming 
the first essay or chapter in this book, it will be seen 
that the influence of yeast in the fermenting of cacao 
was discovered and noted over twelve years ago. It 
was, in fact, through reading Dr. Preyer’s article that 
the idea occurred to me of utilizing his invention ‘for 
trying to secure a more even class of cacao from all or 
any centre through the use of the culture that he 
mentions., If uniformity is possible with rubber, why 
should it not be with cacao? Dr. Preyer’s and Dr. 
Nicholls’ information shows that it is possible. Having 
started the. ball of research rolling, we must now hope 
that others will take up the matter and carry it on to 
practical and general use. 
