VANILLA 43 



are cut off. The result of this pruning is that flower 

 spikes appear from all the leaf axils, and at the same 

 time branch-buds appear lower down in great numbers. 

 The most vigorous of these branch-buds is kept and all 

 the others removed. The next year's flowers will be 

 produced from this side shoot. 



When the pods are ripe the whole of the branch 

 which carries them is cut off, and only the new shoots 

 of the previous year are kept, so that there is no waste 

 of nutriment on the useless portion. As soon as the 

 flower-buds appear on the second stalk, the tip of that 

 is removed. This treatment is continued as long as the 

 plant produces sufficient pods. 



Plants that have been pruned in this manner require 

 a heavy manuring of burnt earth, leaf-mould, rotting 

 leaves, lime and ashes. 



To get full success in this way, it is necessary 

 to plant a little at a time, to leave no more stems 

 than are required for the fruit, and to manure the 

 plants not less than twice a year, to give plenty of 

 light and air, and to avoid excess of moisture. Water- 

 ing the plants, however, is necessary in the dry 

 season. 



Vines grown in this manner are usually exposed to 

 the full sun. They have a yellowish tint and are more 

 slender, contrasting strongly with the* rich deep green 

 foliage of plants grown in the shade, but they produce 

 a greater amount of fruit, as good in every way as that 

 of the shade -grown plant. Delteil points out that 

 pruning also has the advantage of keeping the plant 

 free and light, thus avoiding the risk of accidents from 

 high winds and hurricanes such as are common in the 

 Mascarene and Polynesian Islands, where vanilla has 

 been so long and extensively cultivated. 



DISEASES 



The most serious disease to which vanilla is subject 

 appears to be one due to the attacks of a fungus described 



