Edible Products. 



312 



[Oct. 1906 



According to Hart, the Criollo or Caracas variety in Trinidad possesses 

 •white or nearly colourless seeds, a feature associated with the seeds of the same 

 variety in Java, Ceylon, and Central America, and also by the produce of Theobroma 

 pentagona ; reference to the percentage number of purple seeds is not made, though 

 it may be assumed that on most estates cultivating many varieties they 

 occur. Regarding Niearaguan, Hart states that though the Criollo is the predo- 

 minant type and the seeds are usually white in section, there appears to be a per- 

 ceptible increase in the colour of the seeds and this he associates with the proximity 

 of the Criollo with the Forastero types. The Venezuelan* cacao is mainly white- 

 seeded and produces a cured cacao of good colour and distinct high-class flavour 

 without any bitter taste. 



The variation in thickness and weight of the seed integuments has been 

 dealt with elsewhere, and it is only necessary to mention that the thinnest integu- 

 ments are found around seeds from Niearaguan and Caracas fruits, and the thickest 

 in the Amelonado and Forastero types. 



THE PARTS OF A CACAO BEAN, AND SEED SELECTION. 



The fresh cacao seed consists of a watery white pulp on the outer surface of 

 a tough integument, the latter enclosing two stout cotyledons which form the 

 greater part of the embryo and are usually known as the kernel. Roughly the 

 kernel is only responsible for half the total weight of the fresh seed, the pulp of the 

 latter often being considerable. The weight of the seeds varies with the variety and 

 other factors, the large plump ones being much heavier than the others. The weight 

 of the cured seeds of different varieties is not constant, but the following table shows 

 the average Aveight of several thousands of seeds of four varieties grown at the 

 Experiment Station, Peradeniya : — 



Table I. 



Variety. Weight in Grama. 



Forastero-Cundeamor ... ... ... 1*01 to T26 



Caracas ... ... ... ... 119 to T35 



Amelonado ... ... i ... ... TOO to 1-10 



Niearaguan ... ... ... ... 1*31 to 1-80 



According to Semlert the following are the weights of 100 cacao beans from 

 various countries :— 



Table II. 



Kind. Weight in Grams. 



Trinidad ordinary... 



98 



,, fine 



123-2 



,, extra-fine 



178-7 



Grenada fine 



1310 



Caracas 



130-3 



Dominique 



110-0 



Surinam fine 



1220 



Bahia 



118-0 



Mexican 



136-5 



Africa 



128-5 



Semler concludes that the average weight of a cacao bean is about 1-2 grams ; 



a comparison of the weight of the seeds from varieties grown in any country 

 should always be made. Regarding weight only, the Caracas and Niearaguan 

 varieties in Ceylon compare favourably, but the inferiority of the Amelonado and 

 Forastero types is equally pronounced. 



PROPORTION OP INTEGUMENTS AND KERNELS. 



This is an important subject in connection with seed selection and 

 is well worthy of consideration. The integuments of beans of the Caracas 

 or Niearaguan varieties are usually, but not always, thinner than those 

 of the Amelonado or Forastero types, and the proportionate weight of 



* Annual Report, Botanic Department, Trinidad, 1904. 



f Le Cacaoyer, H. Jumelle, p. 40. 



