270 The Fermentation of Cacao 
legislative enactments become necessary to 
prevent cacao thefts, it will surely be sufficient 
if the traffic in fresh cacao be controlled by 
demanding certificates of origin.’ 
The proportional weight of fresh to cured 
and dried cacao will vary considerably accord- 
ing to the variety of cacao and the country in 
which it is grown; also, Messrs. Mackinnon 
and Co. inform us, according to the machine 
used. This firm claims that its machines 
effectually dry the produce, cacao or coffee, 
with the minimum loss in weight. In the 
Cameroons the cacao produced is principally 
of the Forastero type, and in that case 100 
parts of fresh beans yield 45 to 50 parts of 
dried cacao, 
The best cacao is undoubtedly obtained by 
sun-drying. It will, however, be impossible, 
except in a few instances, to do without 
artificial drying plants. 
Theoretically a plant constructed on the 
principle of bringing the produce into contact 
with opposing currents of air (Gegenstront) 
should be the cheapest to work. The diffi- 
culty is, however, that the cacao dries very 
irregularly. The individual beans adhere to 
one another, and at the points of contact the 
11 believe the German methods of handling and 
punishing the natives living under their authority are 
capable of rendering many laws to be unnecessary 
which we, in our own Colonies, have thought better to 
put into force.—H. H. S. e 
