40 fEEMENTATION. 



passage or outlet pierced by the radicle would be much more 

 rapid, but the testa being once pierced by the radicle, opens the 

 way to easy destruction of the contents, by giving access to 

 the spores of microscopic fungi, and the produce is never of first 

 class quality. 



Prol.'ubly the most important of the underlying principles 

 of the different methods of " Fermentation" is that which 

 ■creates a certain amount of absorption through the testa or skin 

 ■of the bean, which is secured by most methods. A 

 certain amount of heat is required, some make use of sun heat, 

 while others use the heat of fermentation induced in various 

 ways, while others again use both. Small quantities are best 

 ■fermented by being put into a tin vessel and then exposed to 

 the sun to start the fermentation. Although the methods to 

 obtain good results, are known by practice to every intelligent 

 Cacao planter, yet formerly there was much guessing at the 

 quantity and quality of material used to obtain these results. 

 Now that we have Professor Harrison's analyses and actually 

 know what the beans contain, before and after fermentation, it 

 will be possible after some further trial and experiment to decide 

 which process of fermentation produces the best results. 



In Aublet's " Plantes de la Ouiane" I find the process of 

 ■fermenting the produce of Theobroma Guianensis, Aubl., given 

 in the following words : — 



Four conserver Vamande du Cacao, lorsque le fruit est dans 

 sa parjaite maturiie, Von r assemble aupres d'une cuve la ricolte 

 ■qu'on ^n a faite ; on coupe par le travers la capsule en deux 

 portions j)our en tirer toute la substance, et les amandes qu'elle 

 eontient, qu'on verse enserable dans le cuve. Cette substance sous 

 vingt-quatre heures entre en fermentation, ensuite se liquefie et 

 devient vineuse. On laisse les amandes dans cette liqueui* 

 Jusqu'a ce que leur membrane ait bruni et quon reconnoisse gwa, 

 leur germe soit mori ; car la bonti du chocolat depend en partis 

 de la maturity du fruit et du degrd de fermentation que Vamand& 

 a iprouvee par ce procidi. Les amandes se se'parent aveo faciliti 

 de la substance qui les enveloppait, et sechant bieniot. La liqueur^ 

 vineuse est un peu acide et banne a boir'e ; mise dans un alambi<i 

 et dislillee, elle donne un esprit ardent, enflammable et d'un bon 

 gout. 



Freely translated this will read : — 



To preserve the kernel of the Cacao, the fruit, when ripe, is cut in 

 halves, and the kernels it contains are thrown together into a vat. The 

 substance surrounding the kernels ferments within twenty-four hours,' 

 then liquefies, and becomes sour. The kernels are left in this liquor until 

 ■the membranes have become brown, and the germ is known to be dead, ' 



