258 The Fermentation of Cacao 
The. Bulletin of the Imperial Institute (vol. x, 
No. 2, July, 1912) includes an interesting 
article on the preparation of West African 
cacao (pp. 239-247). On p. 243, when dis- 
cussing certain experiments which have been 
carried: out in that Colony in preparing beans 
for market without fermentation, the report 
tells us: “In preparing cacao beans for market, 
fermentation is usually resorted to, and for this 
purpose the beans and adherent pulp, after 
being removed from the pod, are placed in a 
vat or other receptacle where micro-organisms 
bring about fermentation, the temperature of 
the mass rising from 30° to 50°C. The germ 
of the bean is killed in this process, and at the 
same time the astringent matter in the fresh 
bean is destroyed to a great extent, and the 
colour changes from a purplish hue to a rich 
brown. The chief object of this process is to 
kill the bean without injuring the enzymes, 
probably chiefly oxidases, which are stated to 
be the real means of reducing the bitterness 
and altering the colour, for which reason the 
beans are frequently turned to keep the 
temperature below 60° C. 
‘Several new methods of bringing about 
these changes have been proposed. Dr. 
Fickendey, Victoria, Cameroons, has sug- 
gested that the beans should be subjected, 
after removal of the pulp, to changes of tem- 
perature, either by heating them to 50° or 
60° C. (122° or 140° F.) for twenty-four hours, 
