THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. ,,. 



thus of its product. All except the last apparently proceed from varieties 

 or states of the V. plaDifolia. The exception, vanillon, is the product of V. 

 pompona, a distinct native species. This bean is much shorter, twice a$ 

 thick, looks like a banana and has a pleasant, fruity flavor, on account of 

 which it is eaten. It does not often get to the market. It thus appears 

 that the vanilla fruit is edible by man, and is presumably to be regardt J 

 as a food-fruit for animals, a consideration which has an important bearing 

 upon any inquiries which we may institute as to the vegetable physiology 

 of the fragrant principle, which can hardly be regarded as a provision to 

 attract pollinating insects, but which may possibly be an influence in pro- 

 curing dissemination. 



The cultivated plants are trained to native living trees. Much care is 

 necessary in selecting the sort of tree for this purpose, in order to secure 

 just the right degree of shade. Besides this, there are many ideas prevalent 

 among the cultivators, most of them probably fallacious, regarding special 

 influences which the supporting tree may have upon the growth of the 

 plant. At Eeunion artificial shade is employed. 



As has already been stated, the crop is very greatly increased by ar- 

 tificial pollination of the flowers. Most planters believe it best to pollinate 

 but two or three flowers of each raceme, though some believe in pollinating 

 five or six of them. At Eeunion, and in some other localities, there is a 

 complete absence of the necessary insects, and all pollination must be ar- 

 tificially performed. In such cases the mode of training the vines is modi- 

 fied by considerations of convenience in reaching the flowers. The pollinat- 

 ing process is very simple, and is rapidly performed. The pollen, which 

 is granular in form, is situated directly above the stigma and scarcely a line 

 distant from it. There is interposed between them, however, a little blade 

 of tissue, which perfectly separates them. Artificial pollination consists in 

 holding the flower with the left hand, running a splinter of wood or bamboo 

 underneath this separating partition, elevating and turning it backward, 

 and at the same time pressing the upper portion of the flower, bearing the 

 pollen, downward upon the stigma with the finger of the left hand. 



The plant, blooms in March, April and May, and the fruit should be 

 gathered in the following January or February. Unfortunately, the habit 

 prevails in Mexico of stealing the fruit before it is harvested by the proper 

 owner. This leads to a state of rivalry among the different sets of thieves 

 and the owner of the plantation as to who shall be, figuratively and literally 

 speaking, the first in the field. As a result, a large part of the crop is har- 

 vested some two or three months before the proper season, and before it is 

 in a condition to develop anything like its possible percentage of active 

 eoi etituent. A well-matured fruit, if also well cured, should become of a 

 ber.utiful silvery white color, due to a crust of line crystals which develoo 



