244 The Fermentation of Cacao 
especially is this the case when using new 
boxes. If on these occasions a bacteriological 
examination is made, it will always be found 
that there is a preponderance of other organ- 
isms and a scarcity of yeasts, 
Again, occasionally the cacao nearest the 
sides of the boxes blackens; an examination 
of this shows a large number of fungi and 
bacteria which have invaded the material, and 
consequently the yeast cells are degenerating 
and being broken up. ; 
A large amount of unsweated cacao is 
placed upon the market; most of this comes from 
peasants and petty proprietors. It is bought 
by the merchants from these people in a moist, 
rather dirty condition with much of the 
saccharine pulp still adherent to it. In most 
cases it will not sweat. when subjected to the 
usual procedures. 
A proper and thorough fermentation can 
always be started by employing cultures of 
yeasts; sweating will proceed as well in new 
boxes as in old, and even a properly cured 
sample can be obtained from peasant’s cacao, 
provided too much of the saccharine pulp has 
not been removed. 
It can be shown by carefully excluding other 
organisms that ‘‘ wild” yeasts, and these only, 
are all the organisms which are required for 
the production of a proper fermentation in 
cacao. 
Instead of trusting to chance to bring the 
