71 



With regard to Mauritius, a better tone accompanies the infor- 

 mation on the cultivation of the plant in that island, where it is 

 stated, a Committee was recently appointed to make recommenda- 

 tions for amending the laws relating to vanilla. The following 

 notes are gathered from the report of this Committee : That vanilla 

 grows luxuriantly in Mauritius and constitutes an important source 

 of revenue. There is practically no disease on fully-grown plants, 

 and the failures in certain plantations are mostly due to bad cul- 

 tivation. There are some 3,000 vanilla planters in the island, but 

 the majority of these are small proprietors who have a few plants 

 in their gardens or orchards. The exports of prepared vanilla in 

 1902 amounted to 7,712 ft., and the cultivation is capable of con- 

 siderable extension. In spite of care taken to save the pods, they 

 are subject to the depredations of thieves, whom, owing to the 

 nature of the product, it is very difficult to detect. With the view, 

 therefore, of protecting the planters, it is recommended that strin- 

 gent regulations be made for the licensing of all sellers and pur- 

 chasers of vanilla, the fixing of a special mark by growers on 

 their green pods, and the giving of notice to the authorities before 

 vanilla is gathered. It was also recommended that a special in- 

 spector be appointed for the purpose of reporting on all vanilla 

 plantations, preparing houses, etc. 



In the Seychelles, the vanilla cukivation has for some time been 

 very successful, and large quantities have been offered for sale in 

 the London market, mostly realizing good prices. At the first 

 auction of the year, on January 13, the quantity of vanilla offered 

 was so large that the sale was not completed till late on the fol- 

 lowing day (the 14th). As many as 2,86o tins were put up for 

 sale, the total weight of which was about I5f tons, and constituted 

 a record bulk, the chief portion being from the Seychelles. Nearly 

 the whole of this quantity was sold during the two days at fairly 

 good prices, fine quality realizing from I2s. to 15s. 6d. per ft. 



It is worthy of note, in connection with the foregoing remarks, 

 that the fear expressed some years back that the synthetic pro- 

 duction of vanillin would ruin the vanilla culture, has not yet been 

 fulfilled. The numerous and increasing uses of vanilla for flavour- 

 ing purposes in chocolates and other kinds of confectionery are 

 accountable to a large extent for the present very large consump- 

 tion of vsLmW^L.— Gardener's Chrofticle of December 24, 1904. 



NOTES ON FERN CULTURE. 



Nearly all ferns require a quantity of water and should never 

 be dry at the roots at any season, consequently a very impor- 

 tant matter is that of efficient drainage. 



Anything like a sour or water-logged soil is detrimental even 

 to those ferns which are not easily injured in other respects. 



Success in the cultivation of established plants depends more 



