Nov. 1906.] 881 Edible Product*. 



ensure an uniform product ; a period of thirty-six hours to five days or even longer 

 is allowed for fermentation according to the variety dealt with and the circulation 

 of air maintained through the heated mass, after which the seeds are washed and 

 then cured, either in the sun or in rooms supplied with hot air. The cacao planters 

 in Ceylon do not usually separate the different varieties from one another, but more 

 often than not ferment the seeds from fruits of the Caracas, Forastero, and Amelo- 

 nadc varieties in the same heap. The only selection usually made is iu fermenting 

 seeds from unripe or diseased fruits in special heaps ; these are never fermented in 

 the same heaps as the seeds from healthy mature pods. When the fruits are divided 

 into classes comprising (1) mature healthy fruits, (2) immature healthy fruits, 

 and (3) diseased fruits, and each fermente 1 in separate heaps there is a slight 

 advantage, but it is much more important to separate the first group into its 

 component varieties. If all the varieties are fermented in one heap, the fermentation 

 is very uneven, and the final product cannot be uniform in quality. 



On some estates the coolies are trained to detect, in the freshly termented 

 and washed material, the purple seeds from the Forastero and Amelonado fruits 

 from the white seeds of the Caracas variety, the former having much thicker 

 integuments than the latter and being much darker in colour ; the colour of the 

 kernel can to some extent be distinguished through the integumeut.in the freshly- 

 washed seeds. This allows one to obtain uniform samples of cured cacao, but it does 

 not obviate the uneven fermentation. The rapidity of fermentation depends to 

 seme exteut on the thickness of the seed integuments ; the Nicaraguan and Caracas 

 seeds have very thin integuments, and fermentation is consequently effected much 

 more rapidly than in the thicker-skinned seeds of the Amelonado, Calabacillo or 

 Forastero varieties. The thick-skinned, flat, bitter, and purple seeds of Amelonado 

 fruits require a longer period for fermentation than any other kind cultivated in 

 Ceylon, and it appears to be erroneous to ferment all varieties in the same heap. 



In addition to the ordiuary or natural fermentation of cacao other methods 

 have been brought forward, which are dependent upon maintaining the fermenting 

 heap of seeds at a constant temperature. At the Experiment Station, Peradeniya, 

 a series of tanks, lined with cement, have been made ; on two sides of each tank are 

 a large number of holes with an average diameter of 7*5 cm. (three inches) ; through 

 each hole a perforated bamboo is pushed, the latter being of such a length as to 

 stretch from one side of the tank to the other. By this means air can be let into 

 or drawn through the fermenting heap according to requirements ; the floor is 

 made with a slope to one point, where a perforated sieve is placed, to allow the 

 watery products of fermentation to escape. 



M. Schulte* has devised a fermenter which allows the operator to maintain 

 the fresh cacao seeds at a constant temperature of60°C; in this method the cacao 

 is placed in specially made wood receptacles, positioned one above the other, and 

 each made to carry six or more frames between which air spaces exist. The fresh 

 seeds are arranged to a depth of 10 cm. on the frames, and these are then put into 

 the fermenter. The fermenter consists of two chambers fitting tightly toge- 

 ther, and is maintained at a temperature of 60° C. by conducting channels 

 which allow the hot air to circulate from grates disposed at one end of the 

 apparatus. Thermometers indicate when it is necessary to increase or decrease 

 the temperature. It is asserted that by such an apparatus the cacao is 

 fermented in such a manner as to produce a homogenous product, and one 

 which is freer from acidity than most of the cacao placed on the market. M. Maurice 

 Montet t in his criticism on the apparatus and method designed by M. Schulte 



* Lc pro fernvjntation du cacao de Iff. Schulte im Hofe, Journal D' Agriculture Trup.cale, 



No. 52, Oct. 3i, 1905. 



t Montet, 1. c. 



50 



