150 CACAO 



some that we " cannot add anything to the chemistry of 

 cacao." The thorough inquiry into the subject by Prof. 

 J. B. Harrison has, however, shown us the changes that 

 take place during fermentation, and further experiments 

 will possibly show the exact temperature required for the 

 proper fermentation of the bean. 



The writer isinclined to thinkfrom experiments personally 

 carried out that the heat which occurs during fermentation 

 is not so necessary for preparation as is generally believed. 

 When ascertaining the weight of fresh pulp surrounding 

 the beans, it occurred to him to place the "skinned kernels " 

 and the pulp that had been removed from them together 

 and to allow them to ferment. These were placed in a 

 confined space and allowed to stand three days or seventy- 

 two hours, and the temperature was only that of the 

 outside air or a mean of 80° F. Fermentation had taken 

 place and the smell and taste of the liquor instead of being 

 sour, was sweet and agreeable, resembling very much the 

 smell of the " wort " when the brewing of ale is in progress, 

 showing plainly that diastase was present, probably 

 produced by the alteration of the albuminoid and saccharine 

 substances contained in the pulp, or in the bean, or by the 

 pulp and bean conjointly. The office of diastase appears 

 to be to effect the conversion of a portion of the starch of 

 the bean into dextrin, and thus to render it soluble, for we 

 know that the same process takes place in the malting 

 of grain, but the process here differs, from the fact that 

 germination is not required to take place but should be 

 prevented. Malt differs from barley inasmuch as it 

 contains more dextrin and soluble substances, but rather 

 less starch, cellular matter, and insoluble albuminoids, and 

 a smaller proportion of inorganic constituents ; and that 

 there is a similar difference between the unfermented and 

 fermented cacao bean admits of little doubt. 



The kernels of the beans which were placed with the 

 pulp assumed the much desired colour (the cinnamon red) 

 which it is the ambition of the planter to produce, in the 

 short space of seventy-two hours, when it is probable that 



