AGRICULTURAL CHEMISTRY OF CACAO 183 



varieties and cultivated as such for the various markets, 

 in fact the plant breeder should be able to make or raise 

 forms having qualities of the highest excellence and of 

 varying flavours, aroma, and strength. 



Until such standards * are established, the analyses of 

 various kinds do not appear to offer progressive results, 

 as it is certain that no two analyses could possibly agree, 

 and cannot have that desirable exactness which generally 

 characterises chemical work. 



If, however, standard kinds were selected, planted and 

 grown, it would be quite easy to establish analytical 

 standards for each particular quality, but so long as only 

 seedling and variable kinds are cultivated, there appears 

 to be little use for analysis ; and sight value, or buyer's 

 examination, would probably be as accurate as the best 

 chemical examination. 



It has been shown in a previous chapter that the action 

 of fermentation is of less relative value than is the primary 

 quality of the bean which is being fermented, and it 

 surely would be better to direct attention to the point of 

 securing that primary quality instead of endeavouring to 

 secure results from inferior material by the fermenta- 

 tion treatment. 



If the operator can start with a bean of high and even 

 quality it would clearly be more to his advantage to use it, 

 than to use the produce of mixed seedlings, and have to 

 work up the latter by treatment to better form. Yet this 

 is what is being done every day on the greater number of 

 cacao estates, and the skill of the chemist is being invoked 

 to devise methods of improvement in the fermentation 

 process of inferior kinds, while we know that the better class 

 of produce readily admits of much simpler treatment to 

 fit it for the market. 



Chemical examination, full and complete, should, 

 however, be made of all kinds selected as standards, in 



* A standard kind can be defined as the best individual kind that can be 

 selected from various known strains, each selection representirg a particular 

 kind or quality, and chosen for vigour, productiveness, or other desirable 

 quality. 



