Edible Products. 



[November, 1910. 



question from a strictly economic basis, 

 we find that the peanut is the cheapest 

 nut in the whole list. Coming next are 

 black walnuts and hickory nuts. 



Compare the peanut with the pecan. 

 The small pecan sells for one-third more 

 per pound, but the actual value received 

 is over fifty per cent, in favour of the 

 peanut. One of the most expensive nuts 

 is the almond at 25 cents per pound. 

 Compared with the English walnut which 

 usually sells at the same price it is one- 

 third more expensive. 



The prices mentioned in the table are 

 current market quotations : 



Table No. 2. 



Kind of Nut, 



Laree black walnut 

 Small black walnut 

 English walnut 

 Butternut 

 Large Hickory 

 Shell-bark Hickory 

 Spanish chestnut 

 American chestnut 

 Filbert 

 Large pecan 

 Small pecan 

 Brazil nut ... 

 Almond 

 Peanut 



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LIFE AND GROWTH OP A CACAO 

 POD FROM ITS FIRST APPEAR- 

 ANCE TO THE DAY IT GOT RIPE. 



(From the Department oj Agriculture, 

 Trinidad, No. 63, July, 1910.) 

 The following notes by the Hon'ble C. 

 de Verteuil show that a cacao pod takes 

 nearly half a yeai in arriving at matu- 

 rity. During this long period it is ex- 

 posed to insect and fungus attacks, and 

 the absolute necessity for good sanitation 

 on cacao estates becomes very evident :— 

 First appearance, 17th July, just emer- 

 ging from the flower. Size of a pin's bead. 

 On the 15th August, one and three- 

 eighths inches long. 

 On the 31st August three inches long. 

 ,, 16th September, four and one- 

 eighth inches long, and 5 inches 

 in circumference. 

 On the first October, five and one-half 

 inches long, and 7 inches in circum- 

 ference. 



On the 19th October, 7 inches long, and 

 nine and three-quarter inches in circum- 

 ference. 



On the 1st November, 8 inches long, 

 and 13 inches in circumference. 



From the 1st November the pod did 

 not grow again. It was ripe on the 6th 

 December.— 142 days. 



CONTRIBUTIONS TO ,THE KNOW- 

 LEDGE OF CACAO FERMENTATION. 



(From the Botanical Department, 

 Trinidad, No. 58, April, 1908.) 



The following paper has been compiled 

 from the Dutch, by the Acting Curator, 

 Government House Gardens, A. Fred- 

 holm, Esq. It is of considerable interest 

 to Cacao planters, and explains much 

 that was previously mysterious in the 

 "Rule of Thumb " methods so generally 

 adopted in carrying on the Fermen- 

 tation of Cacao. 



There is still, however, the fact that the 

 quality of Cacao, though improved by 

 fermentation, depends more upon the 

 special variety cultivated, than upon 

 any method of fermentation which can 

 be employed. 



Contributions to the Knowledge op 

 the Fermentation of Cacao, by 



Dr. J. Sack. 

 In Bulletin No. 10 of " Inspeetie van 

 den Landbouw in West Indie " issued 

 from Surinam, January, 1908, appears an 

 article by Dr. J. Sack, entitled : " Con- 

 tributions to the knowledge of the fer- 

 mentation of Cacao " recording some 

 useful researches. The following is a 

 brief synopsis of Dr. Sack's work : — 



After showing in a few concise para- 

 graphs, treating of the various modes of 

 Cacao-curing in vogue, that little change 

 has taken place therein since the first 

 shipment of Cacao was made from 

 Surinam to Holland in 1733, he suggests 

 that by the aid of scientific investigations 

 the curing may be improved so as to 

 produce an article of higher market 

 value. The way to obtain this desirable 

 end is obviously by studying the fer- 

 mentation process by which the curing 

 is done. 



Before entering upon a description of 

 the process itself he asks and replies by 

 means of experiments to three questions 

 regarding the nature of, and the con- 

 ditions needed for, fermentation. 



Question I.— Is the fermentation of 

 Cacao a Chemical or Biological process ? 



In order to demonstrate whether the 

 fermentation is the result of purely 

 chemical reactions taking place among 

 the constitutents of the pulp and the 

 kernel without the intervention of 

 bacteria, fungi or other organisms, Dr. 

 Sack takes four equal measures of Cacao 

 numbered 1,2,3 and 4. Numbers 1 and 

 ■ 2 were treated in the customary curing 

 manner, to number 3 was added for- 

 maldehyde, and to No. 4 chloroform, 

 both preparations destructive to life 

 while not influencing chemical activities 



