154 



WASHING AND SUN-DRYING COCOA 



sustained by washing cocoa, showed that it amounted 

 to 2 per cent, in the beans of the Amelonado variety. 



It was, however, found that beans of the same variety 

 grown in San Thome only lost 1'4:6 per cent, of their 

 weight in the washing process. 



Experiments with different varieties carried out in 

 Ceylon, with a similar object in view, gave somewhat 

 variable results, the loss being from 2 to 7 per cent. 



Preuss recorded the following results of his investi- 

 gations on this subject in Kamerun (variety of cocoa 

 not stated) : 



The above figures indicate that Kamerun cocoa loses 

 about 3" 84 per cent, by being washed. 



Eigen {Der Tropenpftanzer, February 1903) found that 

 Kamerun cocoa might lose as much as 6 per cent, by 

 this process. 



Advantages and Disadvantages of the Washing Process. — 

 Similarly fermented samples of washed and unwashed 

 cocoa beans were sent by the writer to Hamburg and 

 London for valuation. Hamburg cocoa brokers appraised 

 the washed samples at from 3 to 4 per cent, higher than 

 the unwashed samples. The London broker, however, 

 rated both samples at the same value. It would thus 

 appear that so far as the cocoa yielded by the Amelonado 

 variety in West Africa is concerned a net gain of from 

 1 to 2 per cent, is likely to be obtained by washing cocoa 

 intended for the Hamburg market, but a loss of 2 per 

 cent, might be sustained by washing cocoa for the 

 London market. 



With a view to eliciting further information on this 

 subject the writer has recently consulted two of the 

 largest cocoa-buying firms in Great Britain. One of 



