Dr. Axel Preyer 31 
need not be feared. On the other hand, the 
possibility of sourness must be carefully 
watched, and if this becomes too pronounced, 
the liquid must be drained off. After five to 
seven days, as a rule, the fermentation is 
finished, and the whole mass is washed. The 
progress of fermentation is checked by examin- 
ing small samples obtained when turning over 
the layers of beans. On account of this, as 
well as for the drying process that follows 
it, both the methods of fermentation already 
described as being used on the Gangaroowa 
Plantation (Ceylon), and the drying process 
employed there, are to be recommended. ~ 
Although I have, in the above communi- 
cation, provided some details regarding the 
causes of fermentation and the methods 
employed to induce fermentation in cacao, 
there still remains a difficult but important 
point to be solved, wzz., the recognition of the 
chemical changes that take place during the 
fermentation and drying, and of the inter- 
mediary and final substances formed during 
the process. It would still be too risky before 
even the composition of the fresh cacao bean 
in its various parts is fully known, to wish 
to advance chemical hypotheses about the 
processes and changes that take place during 
the process. of fermentation; but it is very 
probable that, later on, the chemist will play 
an important part in the preparation of cacao 
on the estates. 
