Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1896-03-23
CACAO.
Another Article from Lee NOuveau
Ge0grRphiquo.

Geographiquc.
Il. de Harne of Kohala fayors
the BULLETIN with the following
article on cacao, supplementary
to one on the same subject lately
appearing in these columns:
HARVEST AND PREPARATION.
AT the age of five years, as we
have said, the cacao tree gives it's
first real crop. 1t bears the whole
year round, but In large quanti-
ties at the end of the dry, and the
beginning of the rainy season.
Consequently, the flowers that
sprout, in, and from May, when
dry weather prevails, will give
fruit i'll August, September and
October, thus 4 months after BIOS
soming. At that time of the year,
we have counted as many as so
good sized fruits on a tree. We
never noticed that the flowers
were more plentiful at the be-
ginning of the rainy season, but
that the fruit seems to form better
when the rains have ceased. When
altogether yellow, it is taken off
by means of a pruning knife, or
any other suitable tool. suckers
and creepers, if any, being gener-
ally cut off at the same time. If
the tree be large, it is better to
gather the fruit every day. And
1t is at this time, that the advan-
tages of planting in rows or quin-
cunXes can best be noticed, us in
gathering, the nottingham can
follow the lines, and has not to 60
from right to left, as happens in
the plantations made by the ma
tives of the country, when left to
themselves, and SO forget and lose
fruit.
Mr.. de Lanessan says: that, in
certain places, the fruit, after
the shell has been taken off, is
packed in great earthen vases
where fermentation DESTROYS the
pulp. Afterwards the grains are
easily separated and well dried in
the sun. This is the not earthed
cacao (cacao non terre) that is
used in making the cacao butter
(beurre de cacao.)
The process of preparing cacao
can briefly be summed up thus:
The gathering and putting up of
the fruit in heaps, the opening of
the shells the next day, and the
storing of the fresh fruit at the
place where it has to ferment, and
finally after few days the drying
process. During the fermentation .
that takes place in barrels or any
other container, water and carbonic
acid are disengaged, and the ther-
mometer thrust among the fruits
reaches 6O0 (about 1877 F). When
the weather is moist, care should
be taken, not to .allow this temper
AZURE to be exceeded, as the grains
would turn blackish, and not be
so valuable.
1t is advisable if one wishes to
have fine product, to sprinkle
the grains with red clay, to pre-
vent agglutination, and to leave
them for a couple of days in
the container till the fermenta-
ton is finished. After which,
they are rubbed by women or
children between the hands, SO
as to take all matter off. The red
dirt absorbs the mucilage of the
cacao and gives it fine red color.
1t is also claimed to keep better,
when this has been used. When
drying; what lasts for 4 or 5 days,
care should be taken to stir the
grains often, so that all the parts
might dry at the same time.
After drying, the cacao has to be
stored in warehouses with a single
and Theoretically closed door, but
if, Notwithstanding all this care,
It be, after few months, covered
with mould, it can, if the inner
part be still sound, be taken off
by gentle rubbing.