80 



These figures show that, although there is at present no falling off 

 in the demand for vanilla, there has been a great decline in value. 



The same state of things is shewn by the results of the two 

 auctions held in London in February and November, of the present 

 year. At the former. 2,800 tins were sold and at the latter 1,410 

 tins. These quantities are in excess of those of former years. The 

 prices obtained in February, ranged from 22/6d., per lb., for best 

 qualities to 14/6d., for somewhal short chocolate coloured beans, and 

 7/6d. to ll/6d., for "foxy brown" beans. In November the best 

 qualities realised only 17/- To 19/6d., per lb., short beans from 8/6d. 

 to 11/- and poor qualities 4/- to 7/- per lb. 



It is almost impossible to give accurately the total annual pro- 

 duction of vanilla at the present time, but it may be estimated at 

 about 350 tons, of which about 150 tons are produced in the British 

 Colonies and Bourbon, and the remainder in .Mexico. Such statistics 

 as are available indicate that the total production has remained almost 

 stationary during the last few years, the increased out-put from 

 Seychelles and Mexico being compensated by smaller exports from 

 Mauritius and Bourbon. This being the case it is evident that the 

 depreciation in value of vanilla must be ascribed almost entirely to 

 the competition of vanillin as a flavouring agent. In this connection 

 it is desirable that it should be known that the so-called -'artificial 

 vanillin"" is identical in every respect with the vanillin contained 

 in vanilla, and to which the flavour of the plant is chiefly if not 

 entirely due. For this reason it is not possible to encourage proposals 

 to prevent the sale of vanillin as a " substitute" for vanilla. 



(Sd.) WYNDHAM R. DUNSTAN. 

 29th December. 1903. 



This Report would appear to be a serious blow to the cultivation 

 of Vanilla in Tropical Countries. 



J. H. H. 



eX^XKeKi) 



