12 The Philippine Journal of Science 1917 



DISCUSSION 



The loss in weight due to fermentation is given in Table IV. 

 The criollo has the greater percentage of loss from fermentation. 

 This is more apparent because the fermentation of the criollo 

 was more nearly complete than the fermentation of the foras- 

 tero. If perfect fermentation could be induced in the latter, 

 the loss in it would undoubtedly approach that for criollo. 

 However, a difference in the selling price of the fermented pro- 

 ducts would be made in favor of the criollo because of its 

 superior quality, and this would still allow more profit to be 

 made from the cultivation of the criollo than from that of the 

 forastero. Then, too, the latter, because of its slowness in fer- 

 menting, is in greater danger of being spoiled by molding or 

 by sprouting than is the former, and losses from this cause 

 would be more apt to occur. On the other hand, the criollo 

 samples examined had a larger average weight for the fruit, 

 531 grams, and a higher average yield of seeds, 27.9 per cent, 

 than the forastero, which had an average weight of 481 grams 

 and an average yield of 24.6 per cent of seeds. This would 

 make the yields of dry, shelled seeds compare, criollo to foras- 

 tero, as 1,089 to 1066; consequently, regardless of a difference 

 in price in favor of criollo, the profit from its cultivation would 

 be greater than from the cultivation of forastero, since the 

 absolute yield of dry, shelled seeds, or nibs, is greater from the 

 criollo than from the forastero. 



The greater rapidity of the fermentation of the criollo is 

 demonstrated by the loss in weight due to the fermentation. 

 The maximum loss in weight has been reached at the end of 

 the fourth day, while the forastero shows a maximum at the 

 end of the sixth day. The intensity of the fermentation is like- 

 wise demonstrated by these same figures, for criollo shows a 

 maximum of 8.5 per cent and forastero a maximum of 3.8 per 

 cent. The changes effected by fermentation should be much less 

 in the case of the latter, judged by the change in weight, and 

 this is borne out by the less agreeable odor of the defatted 10 

 cacao and the cacao butter. The odor is most pleasant between 

 the third and fourth days for the cacao butter and about the 

 fourth day for the defatted cacao in the case of the criollo type, 

 while the fifth and sixth days for the cacao butter and the 



" By defatted cacao is here meant cacao from which all the fat has 

 heen etherized. 



