and Magazine of the Ceylon Agricultural Society.— August, 1910. 181 



be possible to replant in the same spot within 

 a very short time. The experiment of imme- 

 diately replanting the same species in the place 

 where the original plant was killed by the dis- 

 ease has been carried out, but it is as yet too 

 early to be sure that the " supply " will not 

 be attacked. The circular concludes with a 

 description of a similar jungle disease and with 

 particulars of Hymenochaete novia in other 

 countries. 



THE MANUFACTURE OF CACAO 

 BUTTER. 



The three cacao products known to commerce 

 are cacao butter, cacao powder, and cake choc- 

 olate, the manufacture of chocolate requiring 

 skill and knowledge in special degree. The 

 butter is merely the oii or grease of the kernel, 

 usually extracted by pressure, and leaving a 

 residue still containing a certain amount of 

 vegetable fat, which, being ground, as will be 

 explained later, is used in making the beverage 

 commonly known as cocoa. When chocolate is 

 intended to be produced, the carefully-cleaned 

 kernels are crushed into a mass, flavoured, and 

 manipulated according to many methods, and 

 then, after an addition of pure cacao butter has 

 been made to the natural contents of the mass, 

 it is pressed into small cakes and sold. The 

 cacao Dean is composed in weight of 88 per cent, 

 of kernel and husk and 12 per cent, of shell. 

 The shells and husks are treated chemically 

 in Holland for the production of a low grade 

 butter, the reduction being effected by ether or 

 benzine. According to the American Consul 

 at Hamburg, the kernel, which contains 50 to 

 55 per cent, of oil, was formerly treated, when 

 the extraction of butter was contemplated, by 

 boiling, roasting, and crushing in ten times its 

 weight in water; the oil then rising to the 

 surface was decanted, and the residue pressed 

 mechanically for the elimination cf such butter 

 as it still contained. This method has been 

 abandoned, and the kernels, freed from their 

 envelopes, are now ground to a mass, brought 

 to a temperature of from 140 to 158 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, placed in coarse linen sacks, and 

 finally pressed in steam-heated machines. After 

 this first application of pressure the cacao cake 

 contains from 20 to 35 per cent, of fat ; it is then 

 ground and repressed until not more than 15 

 per cent, of the fatty matter remains. The oil 

 or grease which has been extracted is called 

 "cacao butter," which is used chiefly by choc- 

 olate manufacturers, and in smaller quantities, 

 in the soap, perfumery, and pharmaceutical 

 industries, in which, owing to its neutral quali- 

 ties, it is especially valuable, Fresh cacao 

 butter is yellowish-white, but if exposed to 

 light, becomes entirely white and possesses a 

 mild odour of the cacao and a sweet and agree- 

 able taste. Both taste and odour are eliminated 

 by boiling the fat with absolute alcohol, and in 

 this condition it keeps a long time without 

 becoming rancid. It is firm in consistency and 

 melts at from 89 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit, 

 according to quality. Its density varies from 

 0'890 to 0-900 at 59 degrees Fahrenheit. It is 

 very soluble in ether, acetic ether, chloroform, 

 and essence of turpentine. It is sometimes 



adulterated with a mixture of etearine, paraffin, 

 and beef fat. If it is mixed with fatty oils it 

 melts at a temperature of less than 77 degrees, 

 and if it is mixed with paraffin and bdt>f fat it 

 melts at a temperature in excess of 95 degrees 

 Fahrenheit, and if pure, the point of fusion 

 should not be Jess than 77 degrees nor more 

 than 86 degrees. The butter having now been 

 withdrawn from th« mass, there remains an 

 oily cake, which is ground into fine powder, and 

 commands a very wide sale. The powder is 

 usually prepared, aocording to the Dutch 

 method, by the addition of a solution of chemi- 

 cally pure potash. Less frequently soda is used 

 instead, or perhaps a solution of carbonate of 

 ammonium. Iti ordinary practice the raw 

 beans with their shell might be expected to 

 yield from 40 to 45 per cent, of their weight in 

 butter and 30 per cent, of cacao butter.— Journal 

 of the Royal Society of Arts, Feb. 11. 



"NEW RUBBER-YBELDING PLANTS." 



In South India. 



After quoting on the Bulletin of the Imperial 

 Institute, Vol. VIII, No. 1 from an article on 

 " New Rubber-yielding Plants in Mexico, 1 ' in 

 which reference is made to a number of plants 

 recently discovered by Dr. Olsson- Seller, among 

 which are certain species of Plumeria, Mr 

 Rudolph D "Instead, U.P.A.S.I. Planting Ex- 

 pert says : — This is of interest because several 

 members of the Plumeria genus occur in South- 

 ern India. The common ' Temple,' or ' Pagoda 

 Tree,' with fragrant white blossoms is the 

 Plumeria acutifolia mentioned by Dr. Olsson- 

 Seffer, and Mr G H Krumbiegel, the (Superin- 

 tendent of the Mysore Government Botanic 

 Gardens, informs me that Plumeria alba and 

 Plumeria rubra, as well as several hybrids, exist 

 as ornamental flowering shrubs in cultivation. 

 It would be interesting to experiment with 

 these species, to ascertain whether similar re- 

 sults to those in Mexico, can be obtained from 

 them, and Mr Krumbiegel kindly promises to 

 tap some of the trees at the Lal-Bagh Gardens 

 in Bangalore. — Planters' Chronicle, July 9. 



GERMAN Y AND COPRA. 



The recent discovery of practical methods of 

 converting the crude copra oil into a palatable 

 and satisfactory vegetable butter has given great 

 extension to the business in Germany, where 

 the consumption of edible fats is large. The 

 price at which coconut butter has recently been 

 produced by French and German manufacturers 

 has had a marked effect upon the sales of com- 

 pounds in which American cotton-seed oil is 

 used. Some seven companies are now crushing 

 copra and refining the oil for edible use in Ger- 

 many, selling their products under various pro- 

 prietary names. The importations of raw copra 

 have more than doubled within three years, and 

 the extonsion of the industry would seem to 

 hinge more upon the ability of the crushers to 

 obtain supplies of materials than upon the con- 

 suming abilities of the market. The active de- 

 mand for coconut oil and butter has given a 

 stimulus to the coconut growing industry, and 

 the flotation of coconut estates companies will 

 doubtless follow.— H & C Mail, July 8. 



