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be used in the chocolate industry, for it has been claimed that 
the flavour of the bean is obtained by fermentation. 
I have therefore had 200 kilograms of cocoa sterilized at the 
Ivory Coast and have submitted it through one of the largest 
French chocolate firms to industrial treatment. 
To the astonishment of those who were entrusted with the 
roasting the cocoa became fragrant and was in no respect 
inferior to the products obtained by fermentation in the same 
region. 
Here, therefore, is a series of experiments showing that 
the fermentation of the cocoa seems to be of no advantage for 
obtaining an excellent product for manufacturing purposes, 
and I believe that I may say that sterilization would have the 
double advantage of not raising the net cost of production, 
whilst it would also assure to manufacturers a remarkable 
regularity in the production of each plantation. 
Mr. J. Maxwett-VaucHan: Mr. Chairman and Gentle- 
men—I feel sure it will interest you to hear something 
of the method in general use throughout the Republic of 
Colombia in connection with cocoa cultivation as practised 
there from time immemorial. I have not heard of the system 
being employed in other countries, nor have I seen any 
mention of it made in books. The point is the employment of 
irrigation during the flowering period and at intervals until 
the fruit is ‘‘set.’’ This takes place during the dry season. 
The principal crop is gathered in June, and the secondary, or 
‘“metaca’’ crop, as arule of smaller dimensions, in December. 
The object of irrigation is not only to maintain moisture in 
the soil, which is generally an alluvial loam and porous, but 
also to counteract the effect of what we call ‘‘hielo’’ 
(equivalent to frost), which settles in the clear moonlight 
nights during these dry months. The presence of water in 
the plantation prevents the frost nipping the flower and young 
fruit. This may seem odd where the mean temperature is in 
the region of 85° F., but the nights are as desperately cold at 
this period as the days are excessively hot. These plantations 
extend between latitudes 2° and 10° N. at an altitude varying 
between 100 ft. to 1,000 ft. above sea level. It would be 
interesting to know in what other parts of the world this 
system is practised. 
There is a disease which has decimated these plantations in 
the last twenty years, and the cause has not yet been ascer- 
tained, for although isolated attempts have been made to 
remedy the evil, no concerted action has been taken, which 
is much to be lamented. The disease first becomes evident 
