116 



THE AGltlCULTUllAL NEWS. 



Au(a'.sT 2, 1902. 



VANILLA. 



Cultivation in the Seychelles. 



( Ci'iitiiiKtil f'rij 

 riiLLINA'JICiN IV 



Tlie work i)f flower I'ertilizatiou (|Hilliiuitii>ii)- for they 

 have all to be fertilized bj' hand, and that on the day they 

 open — is mostly done by women and cliililren. Tlie "[leni- 

 tion is a very simjile one, and an average nej;ro will aii|iiire 

 the knack after being .shown a few exainpli's. 



[The illustration on the Ojiposite page, reprodueed fnon 

 the Kew llullf-tin, with its descriptive letter press will allow 

 readers to follow clearly, Mr. Galbraith's description. — 

 Ed. A.X.] 



The Hower i.s taken in the left hand, three fingers lieing 

 placed at its back and the thundi in front, the coIumhi with 

 organs of fertilization on top being supjiorted against the 

 middle sepal behind. K bit of hard wood, cut to the size of 

 a toothiiick and scrai)ed smooth and flat at one end, is the 

 only tool required; this is held in the right hand. Tn get 

 at the organs of fertilization easily, the sack which grows 

 from the side of the column enveloping its front and marking 

 the sexual organs is pressed down by the bit of wood, cir 

 this is run through its base, and the sack torn uii, or the 

 whole sack may be [ilucked oti" with finger and tlnnnb, it 

 matters not how it is laid oiien, so long as this is done 

 quickly and without injury to any other part fif the flower. 

 The smooth end of th(^ fecundating instrument is then laid 

 flat on the front of the colunni just beneath the organs of 

 fertilization, and being pushed up it catches under the Haj) 

 which keeps the [lolleu from coming into contact with the 

 stigma. The Ha)! is raised along with the stick till it lies 

 flat against the Ujiper part of the colunni, being held in that 



jiosition by the bit of w 1. The stamen, at flrst I'aised 



along with the llai>, now falls down again in its original 

 jiosition, and the flap being out of the way the [lollcn comes 

 into contact with tlie stigma, and a slight pressure of the 

 thund) on the stamen lodges the pollen in the position 

 reipiired ; the bit of stick being then (piickly but gently 

 \\ithdra\VM, the o|ieration is comiilete. 



The whole att'air is very much easier done than described, 

 anil with flowers fairly inimcrous, an ordinary hand will 

 fecundate a hundred or so per hour. Karly morning, from 

 7 to 9, is the best time for fertilizing; but the work may be 

 .started with sunrise and carried on well inin the afternoon, 

 though about uud-day flowers begin to close some and the 

 work goes .slower. .Most plants in full crop produce many 

 uiore flowers than it is advisable to fertilize, for other 

 l>arts of the vines, besides the (hecked hanging brandies, 

 blossom in favouialile .sea.soiis and the number of pods 



//( jia[H' lol.) 



THE FLOWEKS. 



which a vine is able to mature i)roperly must be 

 estimated from the plant's size and condition. In the 

 course of four or Ave years, though by that time the plant 

 cutting will be spent, if well cared for it will have grown a 

 large cpiantity of vine ; and as each new .shoot, when long 

 enough, sends down aerial roots in its own behalf, it 

 becomes, .so to .spe<ik, an independent plant and the parent of 

 others. If none of the .shoots from a strong growing vine 

 have bjen vemoved the mass of growth in time become.s 

 enormous, and may b" equal to maturing a hundred or more 

 good pods. When the supporting tree is stout and furnishes 

 forks enough to admit of the vine being sjiread out so as to 

 let plenty of air through it the vine may b3 allowed to 



and if it gives, .s<iy, twenty 

 more flower.s, five or six might 



accumulate to this extent, 

 cluster.s, each yiehling ten or 

 be fertilized on each. 



l!ut, generally speaking 

 111 my as shouM 

 sh luld averag. 



about 30 pods to a vine is as 



)j left, anil hs would 1)3 a lucky planter who 



tint numbsr. In • sele''tiiig flowers to 



fertilize those should hi chosen which siiring from the lower 

 [lart and from the sides of the flower stalks, from which 

 position they grow straighter po.ls th.ui tho.sc coining out on 

 to]). In favourable weather, i.e. moist but not heavy rain 

 (which latter often washes the pollen gr.iins away before they 

 germinate), only a small iiercentiige of flowers will fail of 

 fecundation. In lase of failure, the flower drops ofl' in three 

 days or le.ss, but otherwise remains attached to its stalk and 

 slowly withers ; the gynosUmiiuii adheres to uio.st pods till 

 they begin to ripen ; thus it is ea.sy to see the number 

 suecessfully fecuiKlated in each bunch, and where enough are 

 secured the rest c-a,ii be broken ofl'. Later it is advisable to 

 cut clean ofl' with a knife the flower stalk a quarter of an 

 inch or .so beyond the last fertilized flower. Some planters 

 ]plaster a bit of sticky clay on the cut surface to prevent it 

 rotting back. Dry lime is jierhaps better; this may be 

 dabbed on with a piece of olotli dipped in the powder. 



Tods grow to their full size in five or six weeks, but 

 take .some eight months, more or less, according to the 

 altitude at which they are grown, or the amount of shade 

 over them, before they ripen. The indication of riiiening is 

 a slight yellowing of the whole pod, which is more marked 

 near its free end. When under too much shade the change, 

 in colour is less noticeable, and many pods grown in 

 such places split before they are gathered, an<l for that 

 reason lose in value. To guard against si)litting, and yet 

 gather them at perfect ril)enes.s, they should be gone 



