VANILLA 349 



ferior bean to give it the appearance of a high-grade 

 article. This may be recognized, according to Schim- 

 mel & Co., (1888), by abstracting the benzoic acid 

 crystals with sodium carbonate, adding sulphuric acid 

 and metallic magnesium or zinc; the odor of oil of 

 bitter almond will then be developed. 



STATISTICS. Formerly the Oaxaca and Vera Cruz 

 provinces were the principal vanilla-growing districts 

 in Mexico, yielding in 1802 1,793,000 pods. (Hum- 

 boldf). In 1897 Papantla and Misantla were the center 

 of vanilla culture (Hires), and the crop had increased 

 from 700,000 pods in 1866 to the enormous amount of 

 15,000,000 pods in 1893, this figure being the average 

 for the preceding ten years. From Vera Cruz only 

 100,000 pods were received. The United States im- 

 ports in 1891 (Beringer) were: Mexican, 135,875 Ibs., 

 Reunion, Seychelles and Mauritius, 10,000 Ibs., South 

 America, 9,000 Ibs., Tahiti, 5,000 Ibs. In 1896 the total 

 imports into the United States rose from 137,000 Ibs. 

 of the preceding year to about 237,000 Ibs., representing 

 a value of over $1,000,000. (Oil, Paint and Drug Re- 

 porter, Mar. 8, 1897, Supplement). 



In searching for data concerning vanilla in 1897, we 

 corresponded with Dr. V. C. Price, President of the 

 Price Flavoring Extract Company, of Chicago, one of 

 the heaviest consumers of Mexican vanilla in the world, 

 and to him we were indebted for much information, in- 

 cluding the statement that the beans should be at least a 

 year old before they are extracted. He stated that they 

 must be closely watched, in order to prevent them from 

 moulding, and that after they mould lice quickly ap- 

 pear, and the value of the beans is rapidly destroyed. 

 Dr. Price also stated that within the year the value of 



