48  THE  TROPICAL  AGRICULTURIST.  [July  i,  1892. 
CACAO:  ITS  NATURAL  HISTORY,  CULTURE, 
AND  PREPARATION. 
We  now  proceed  to  notice  the  remaining  portion® 
of  Mr.  Hart’s  valuable  Handbook  of  the  Culture  and 
Preparation  of  Caoao.  From  the  chapter  which  de- 
scribes the  operation  of  picking  the  fruits  from  the 
trees,  we  have  already  quoted  the  description  of  the 
instrument  used  in  Trinidad,  of  whioh  a figure  is 
given.  The  pods  ought  not  to  be  harvested  until 
fully  ripe,  and  they  ought  not  to  be  left  on  the  trees 
beyond  this  stage,  so  that  only  experienced  and 
trustworthy  labourers  should  be  employed  in  this  im- 
portant work.  Mr.  Hart  also  advises  that  the  pods 
should  be  sorted  before  being  “ shelled,”  should,  they 
vary  in  size  and  quality.  The  different  varieties 
grown  in  Trinidad  require  different  treatment,  and 
there  is  a difference  of  praotice  as  to  leaving  the 
pods  in  heaps  for  a few  days  or  opening  them  at 
once,  which  latter  oourse  is  deemed  the  better.  The 
seeds  from  any  over  ripe  pods  whioh  may  be  found 
ought  to  be  separately  dealt  with.  The  shelling  can 
be  done  in  the  field  or  in  the  curing-house  as  is 
found  most  convenient.  The  prooess,  as  conducted 
in  Trinidad,  is  thus  described  : — 
The  operation  of  shelling  or  breaking  is  done  with 
a cutlass  or  large  knife.  A cut  is  made  round  the 
middle  of  the  pod,  taking  care  not  to  allow  the 
tool  to  go  through  the  shell  so  to  injure  the  beans. 
The  pod  is  then  broken  in  the  middle  by  a sharp 
jerk,  and  the  beans  are  taken  out  and  separated 
from  the  fibrous  tissue  of  which  the  placenta  is 
composed.  If  superior  samples  of  cacao  are  intended 
to  be  made,  it  is  very  important  that  the  breakers 
should  be  instructed  to  [carry  out  strictly  a sorting 
process  which  will  separate  the  ripe  from  the  un- 
ripe beans,  and  the  different  varieties  from  one  an- 
other, for  it  is  possible  to  make  a more  even  sample 
by  giving  due  attention  at  this  stage  than  by  any 
other  means,  for  from  the  appearance  of  the  sweet 
pulp  surrounding  it,  the  condition  of  the  interior  of 
the  bean  can  be  correctly  estimated. 
And  Mr.  Hart  adds  : — 
It  is  here  I am  persuaded  that  the  Ceylon  planter 
obtains  a most  decided  advantage  over  his  Trinidad 
confrere . In  the  majority  of  cases,  and  on  the  greater 
number  of  estates  in  Trinidad,  the  breaking  is  left 
to  those  who  are  not  able,  through  the  want  of 
technical  education,  to  understand  the  value  of 
pursuing  at  this  point  any  particular  system,  aDdthey 
are  besides  so  wedded  to  the  use  of  a system  of 
their  own  on  which  they  are  unable  or  uninclined 
to  improve,  that  it  becomes  almost  useless  to  attempt 
to  introduce  any  measure  of  reform. 
There  are  men  among  the  planters  of  Trinidad 
however,  who  are  well  alive  to  the  importance  of 
making  improvements  in  their  manufacture,  but  as 
they  are  met  at  every  turn  by  the  prejudices  in 
favour  of  the  ordinary  rule-of-thumb  methods,  and 
often  ridiculed  by  those  who  ought  to  know  better, 
it  is  a hard  uphill  and  an  expensive  fight  to  get  these 
required  reforms  into  working  order. 
To  make  a first  class  article  in  any  trade  or  business, 
is  well  known  to  pay  much  better  than  to  make 
ordinary  produce,  and  this  is  where  the  Ceylon 
planter  has  shewn  himself  to  great  advantage  of 
late  years,  and  his  Trinidad  confrere  loses  per  contra 
by  inattention  to  such  details. 
The  important  process  of  “ fermentation,”  (real 
fermentation  in  this  case  and  not  oxygenation,  as 
in  the  case  of  tea)  is  then  described,  and  reference 
is  made  to  the  three  prize  essays  by  Trinidad 
planters,  which  will  be  found  reprinted  in  the  Tropical 
Agriculturist  with  very  valuable  remarks  by  Mr. 
Jardine  embodying  the  experience  obtained  in  Ceylon 
and  the  principles  of  treatment  founded  thereon. 
The  essays,  with  all  their  diversity  of  opinion,  are 
printed  as  appendices  to  Mr;  Hart’s  Handbook.  A 
variety  of  methods  may  lead  to  equally  good  results, 
but  Mr.  Hart  states  : — 
In  writing  upon  the  Fermentation  of  Cacao  it  is 
necessary  however  to  consider — 
1st.  The  necessity  for  the  operation ; 
2nd.  The  change  that  is  brought  about ; 
3rd.  What  causes  the  change,  and 
4th.  Why  dissimilar  methods  produce  similar 
results. 
Unfermented  caoao  is  inferior  in  quality  and  realizes 
proportionately  lower  prices  than  that  whioh  is 
fermented.  In  all  processes  of  fermentation,  there 
is  one  underlying  principle  : — 
It  is  necessary  first  of  all  to  remove  the  pulp 
surrounding  the  berry,  so  as  to  allow  the  bean  to 
dry — how  we  do  this  is  a matter  of  little  moment 
so  that  we  do  it  effectually— but  if  in  removing  it, 
we  can  at  the  same  time  effect  improvement  in  the 
substance  of  the  kernel  itself,  we  shall  be  carrying 
out  at  one  operation  what  we  should  find  very  difficult 
to  do  if  carried  out  separately.  For  instance,  if  we 
first  removed  the  pulp,  we  should  not  afterwards  be 
able  to  change  the  substance  of  the  kernel.  Fer- 
mentation is  considered  by  all  operators  as  the  easiest 
way  of  effectually  getting  rid  of  the  pulp,  and  it  i3 
also  probably  the  only  reliable  way  of  changing  the 
character  of  the  interior  of  the  seed. 
It  may  be  held  that  little  or  no  fermentation  is 
necessary  for  some  markets,  and  that  the  bitter 
flavour  and  the  purplish  colour  of  the  bean  do  not 
require  alteration  ; but  those  who  hold  these  views 
in  Trinidad  are  greatly  in  the  minority  at  present. 
It  is  plain  therefore  that  fermentation  is  a necessity 
for  the  removal  of  the  pulp,  it  is  a necessity  to  allow 
of  the  bean  being  quickly  dried,  and  it  is  a necessity 
for  the  purpose  of  altering  and  improving  the  character 
of  the  substance  of  the  bean,  and  to  improve  the  colour 
and  keeping  qualities  of  the  produce, 
dll  the  saccharine  pulp  ought  to  be  got  rid  of  and 
the  oolour  of  the  beans  changed  from  a purple  to  a 
rich  chocolate  or  cinnamon  colour.  The  hardening 
of  the  shell  is  also  of  importance  with  reference  to 
obviating  damage  in  carriage  or  in  keeping.  What 
causes  the  change  in  the  bean  is  a question  for 
chemical  soienee  to  decide  : what  is  certain  is  that  a 
material  and  beneficial  ohangeis  effeoted.  Analyses 
have  differed,  but  the  following  table  and  the  infor- 
mation whioh  follows  is  interesting  : — 
Professor  Church’s  analysis  is  as  follows: — 
In  100  parts.  In  1 lb. 
Wate 
5-0 
0'350  grs. 
Albuminoids  ... 
17-0 
2-315  „ 
Fat 
5 1-0 
8-070  „ 
Theobromine 
1*5 
0-105  „ 
Cacao  Red 
3-0 
0-210  „ 
Gum,  & c. 
10-9 
1-326  „ 
Cellulose  and  lignose  ... 
8-0 
1-122  ,. 
Mineral  matter 
3-6 
0-252  „ 
In  his  analysis  Professor 
McCarthy 
found  18  and 
28  per  cent,  of  fatty  matter 
in  two  samples  of  fresh 
cacao — but  this  apparently  might  represent  an  amount 
of  50  per  cent,  in  the  cured  bean  in  consequence 
of  the  removal  of  moisture  and  the  pulp  and  mucilage 
from  the  outside  of  the  bean,  which  material  goes 
to  make  up  a large  porportion  of  weight,  and  would 
reduce  the  percentage  of  fat  in  proportion  to  the 
total  weight  of  fresh  bean. 
An  examination  of  beans  fresh  from  the  pod  showed 
the  following  : — 
ozs. 
=3-75 
1-65 
1-75 
340 
.35 
ozs 
=5'40 
2-40 
2-40 
-80 
Loss  during  operation  , . -60 
Total  weight  from  inside  pod — No.  1 
Weight  of  pulp  and  testa  or  skin  of 
seed  removed 
Kernel  (clean) 
Loss  during  operation  . . 
Total  weight  from  inside  pod — No.  2 
Weight  of  pulp  and  testa  or  skin  of 
seed  removed 
Kernel  (clean)  
