170 The Fermentation of Cacao 
54 lb., curing and drying 72 Ib., leaves 74 Ib. 
dried cacao. 
The average dry return from these three lots 
of 200 Ib. wet cacao was nearly 72 lb., or a per- 
centage of 36 per cent., a result considerably 
lower than that hitherto generally accepted. 
Taking the average weight of a ‘barrel of wet 
cacao at 300 lb., and the average return of dry 
cacao from it at 110 lb., the result works out 
very close to 36 per cent., and confirms the 
above experiments which were conducted in 
mediumly wet weather. 
In four experiments of fermenting and 
curing Pentagona cacao, the fermentation was 
thoroughly effected within four days, and the 
net return of dried beans varied from 274 per 
cent. to 29 per cent. of the wet cacao treated. 
Is FERMENTATION PROFITABLE? 
In order to ascertain this point, two lots of 
100 Ib. each of wet cacao were cured without 
any fermentation beyond placing them to drain 
for one night in a sweating box. After sun 
drying in the usual way the average result 
showed 39 per cent. of dry cured cacao, or 
*3 per cent. more weight than in the case of 
fermented cacao. Taking the value of the 
unfermented cacao at 50s. per cwt. (June, 1911) 
and of “Fine Estates” fermented cacao at 
56s. per cwt., we find the 39 lb. of unfer- 
mented to be worth 17s. 6d. gross, and the 
36 lb. of fermented to be worth 18s. gross, 
