38 



THE AGRICULTURAL NEWS. 



February 11, 1905. 



VANILLA INDUSTRY. 

 The t'ollowing interesting article on vanilla, by 

 Mr. J. R. Jackson, A.L.S., appeared in the Gardeners' 

 Chronicle of December 24, 1904: — 



Some curious facts have recently come to hand regarding 

 the vanilla cultivation in Tahiti and Mauritius. The exports 

 from Tahiti to the Uuited States have been declining, appar- 

 ently from the inferiority of the product. The small trade 

 that now exists seems to be generally in the hands of 

 Chinamen, who encourage trade with the natives by accepting 

 options on the vanilla output, and ultimately receive the 

 beans in the crudest form and proceed to cure them. The 

 name Tahiti, as applied to vanilla, is .said to be .sutticient to 

 condemn the exports from the colon}', and the American 

 Consul has endeavoured to enlist the interest of the officials 

 in a plan for compulsory inspection and grading under the 

 control of the Government. The matter, however, has not 

 been looked upon favouraljly Ijy the .officials, though it has 

 by many planters and merchants. The Consul therefore 

 ■warns importers of vanilla from Tahiti carefully to examine 

 any beans that they have reason to suspect of being cured b}' 

 Chinese, as these traders are accustomed to pick uj) beans 

 that have been rejected by others as totally unfit for market, 

 soak them in salt water or let them remain for a time in 

 cocoa-nut oil, and then pack them in the bottoms of tins 

 containing better grades. Chinamen will buy even mouldy 

 vanilla pods and mix them with sound ones. It is stated, 

 however, that there are a few companies of native planters 

 who are trying to put a high-grade vanilla on the market. 



With regard to Mauritius, a better tone accompanies the 

 information on the cultivation of the plant in that island, 

 where, it is stated, a Committee was recently appointed to 

 make recommendations 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 cultivation. 

 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 prejiared 

 vanilla in 1902 amounted to 7,712 lb., and the cultivation is 

 capable of considerable 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 stringent regulations be 

 made for the licen.sing of all sellers and purchasers of vanilla, 

 the affixing 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 inspector 

 be appointed for the purpo.se of reporting on all vanilla 

 plantations, preparing houses, etc. 



In the Seychelles, the vanilla cultivation 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 following day (the 11th.). As 

 many as 2,860 tins were put up for sale, the total weight of 

 which was about 15J tons, and constituted a record bulk, the 

 chief portion being from the Seychelles. Nearly the whole 



of this (juantity was sold during the two days at fairly good 

 prices, fine (juality reidizing from 12s. to 15s. 6rf. per lb. 



It is worthy of note, in connexion with the foregoing 

 remarks, that the fear expressed some years back that the 

 synthetic production of vanillin would ruin the vanilla 

 culture, has not yet been fulfilled. The numerous and 

 increasing uses of vanilla for Havouring purposes in chocolates 

 and other kinds of confectionery are accountable to a large 

 extent for the present very large consumption of vanilla. 



ARBOR DAY FOR BARBADOS. 



The Hon. Forster M. AUeyne, the senior delegate 

 of the Barbados AgricTdtural Society at the fifth West 

 Indian Agricultural Conference, presented a report on 

 the Conference to the Society at its meeting on 

 January 27. The following is an extract from the 

 report in which Mr. Forster Alleyne suggests that 

 the Agricultural Society should take steps to procure 

 the observation of Arbor Day in Barbados as has been 

 d(3ne in the other islands : — 



In response to the President, Dr. Watts described how 

 Arbor Day had been kept in Antigua during the last three 

 years. The President expliined that he did not attach so 

 much importance to the planting of trees on this day in 

 connexion with re-afforestation, l)ut he thought it most 

 valuable to })laco an object-lesson before the people, and 

 especially before children, how a tree ought to be 

 planted and cared for. We have no Arbor Day in Barbado.s, 

 and il is worth consideration whether this Society might not 

 take steps to procure the observance of one. We have many 

 bare spaces around Bridgetown which would be all the better 

 for some trees, while if some of our glaring roads could be 

 transformed into avenues, travelling would become much more 

 pleasant. Trees might also be planted near the schools in 

 the country, so that the children might watch and take an 

 interest in their growth. 



CACAO IN THE GERMAN COLONIES. 



The following extracts are taken from the 

 Consular licport on the German Colonies for 1902-3: — 



Cacao plantations exist in the Cameroons and in Samoa. 

 The former show a considerable increase in production, the 

 latter are not yet .sufficiently advanced to allow of export. 



The exports from the Cameroons were valued at 

 £33,907 in 1902 and £27,657 in 1901, or an increase in 

 1902 of £6,250 worth. 



Togoland. — The cultivation of cacao also appears to 

 prospei', and is exteniling among the natives in the districts 

 of Misahohe and Atakpame. The German Togoland Company 

 are also devoting attention to cacao culti^•ation on their 

 jilantations, and seem to have good prospects of success. 



The general position of the cacao plantations in the 

 Bismarck Archipelago and Kaiser Wilhehnsland on January 

 1, 1903, is 12 productive acres. 



Samoa. — The area jilanted with cacao was almost 

 doubled within the year and amounted in 1903 to about 

 2,000 acre.s, of which, however, only about 124 acres were 

 sufficientl}' advanced to j-ield a croj). Whether cacao planting 

 will prove a success in Samao is still doubtful. In any case 

 it reipiires capital and great perseverance, and the report of 

 Dr. Wohltmann, the cacao exi)ert who was sent out by the 

 Colonial Economic Committee, was not altogether encouraging. 

 The value of the exports was £564 in 1902-3 and £534 in 

 1901-2, or an increase of £30 worth. 



