140 The Fermentation of Cacao 
In answer to query No. 2: Does ¢he fer- 
mentation require the admittance of air ? 
Four cylinders were filled, each with 4 kilos 
of cacao. Each of the cylinders had a tube 
attached to allow of the drainage to run away. 
Cylinders Nos. 1 and 2 were open at the top, 
and drilled bamboo canes pushed in between 
the cacao, so that a sufficient quantity of air 
could penetrate. Cylinders Nos. 3 and 4 were 
tightly closed. 
After a time the contents of cylinders Nos. 1 
and 2 duly began to ferment, while the cacao 
in cylinders Nos. 3 and 4 began to decompose ; 
this experiment. was repeated several times, 
but each time the air was excluded the fer- 
“mentation ceased and the cacao commenced to 
decompose. 
’ This test therefore proves that the fermen- 
tation process reguires the admittance of atr. 
In the laboratory the best fermented cacao 
was obtained from the baskets, as they were 
open all round, and the air could thus penetrate 
freely, and in ‘studying the process of fermen- 
tation on the plantations, it appears that with 
large heaps the top layer ferments the best, 
and that the bottom of the heap, where the air 
cannot penetrate, does not ferment at all. 
It is thus proved that turning over the heaps, 
that is to say, transferring them from the one 
sweating-box to another, whereby the layer 
that is at the top goes to the bottom, is not 
without good reason; in fact it is necessary in 
