Dr. A. Schulte im Hofe _ 107 
acetic acid formation may be increased by 
using juice flowing from beans already under- 
going acetic fermentation. 
The work on fermentation floors resembles 
that in a malt factory, except that in the case 
of cacao the aim is to acidify the produce, and 
higher temperatures are employed, whilst on 
malting floors the barley is meant to germinate. 
As during the sweating process an acid fluid 
comes away from the beans, this fact must be 
taken into account, as owing to it the floor 
should consist of some material that is not 
affected by acids, and hence cement and lime 
should, as far as possible, be avoided in its 
construction.’ 
If only small quantities of cacao have to be 
dealt with, a wooden trough of suitable dimen- 
sions will suffice, and the beans can be turned 
about by shovelling the cacao from one end of 
the trough to the other, for one end should 
always be kept free, and in this way the cacao 
becomes easily aerated. 
At first on the plantations in the Cameroons 
the cacao was washed after fermentation had 
been completed, whereby the remains of fruit 
pulp adhering to the beans were removed. 
As, in chocolate factories, the shell is removed 
from the kernel, in any case it is immaterial 
whether some of the fruit pulp still adheres or 
1 Wood, and especially some native woods, are far 
preferable, especially as the vinegar or juice tends to 
pickle and preserve it for a long time.—H. H. S. 
