32 SPICES 



CHAP. 



sized cuttings is preferable to one raised from seed, as 

 it grows faster in the beginning. 



Such trees are Pterocarpus indicus, and Lager- 

 stroemia Flos-Reginae or floribunda or Erytlirinas. 

 Of these a branch 3 or 4 ft. long, and J or f of an inch 

 through, grows very readily. 



Delteil suggests as suitable trees cacao, the Jack 

 tree, mangoes, loquat, Albizzia Lebbek, Bombax mala- 

 baricum, Ficus elastica, and F. indica, and Jatropha 

 curcas, the physic nut. Some of these I would 

 suggest are rather too slow in growth, and others are 

 apt to grow too tall and do not branch sufficiently. 

 The physic nut is recommended by many planters. Its 

 advantages are that it is common, being often used for 

 fences ; it can be propagated by cuttings, but also grows 

 rapidly from seed ; it does not grow tall and is well 

 branched, and sufficiently strong to carry the vine. In 

 Singapore I find it too slow and not sufficiently tall for 

 the purpose, but in drier climates it appears to grow 

 faster and stronger. 



Croton tiglium, the croton-oil plant, is recommended 

 by some, and is said to be the only plant that will carry 

 vanilla through a hurricane. It is not, however, a plant 

 which will grow everywhere, and is not always a fast 

 grower. Macfarlane suggests the shrubby Bauhinia 

 purpurea and the arnotto, Bixa orellana. The latter, 

 as he justly remarks, gives the deeper shade. Almost 

 any of the erect Bauhinias would do, but B. variegata 

 and B. purpurea are both strong well-growing plants. 

 The arnotto and the Bauhinias grow fast and easily 

 from seed in good soil, and are able to support the vines 

 in from eighteen months to two years. 



In the Singapore Botanic Gardens vanilla has been 

 very successfully grown on the oil -palm, Elaeis guineen- 

 sis, which, from the good light shading its foliage gives 

 and the projecting leaf bases usually full of decayed 

 vegetable matter, forms an ideal support, but un- 

 fortunately it is of comparatively slow growth. 



Trellis Cultivation. Instead of using living trees 



