60 SPICES 



CHAP. 



from the trays and packed while hot into tins, old 

 40-1 b. biscuit -tins being used. They remain in the 

 tins for two days, and are then spread out in the trays 

 again, but after the first sweating in the tins, must 

 always be covered with blankets when exposed to the 

 sun heat. During the sweating in the tins the pods 

 exude much water. 



From this time onwards the processes are alternated, 

 one day in the sun, one or two in the tins, till they are 

 nearly dry. When they have begun to shrivel and 

 become soft and pliant they can be left for a couple of 

 weeks at a time in the tins, so long as they are air-tight 

 or nearly so. 



The best pods take the longest time to dry, and 

 the dry ones must be taken out each day before the 

 exposure to the sun. When they are nearly dry they 

 should never be exposed more than half a day at a time, 

 and should be turned over at least twice, to prevent 

 their being sun-burnt. They must never be spread 

 singly in the trays, or the stalk end will burn. 



Another plan is to remove the pods when they have 

 lost about half their weight, and are distinctly wrinkled, 

 to frames covered with wire-cloth or thin sacking. 

 These frames are put in a well- ventilated drying-house, 

 and the pods are dried there. This plan is safer, but 

 requires more house room. 



COST AND PROFIT 



Mr. Howard Newport, in the Queensland Agri- 

 cultural Journal (May 1910), p. 239, gives an estimate 

 for opening up a 5-acre plantation of vanilla in Queens- 

 land. He says it should not cost more than 200, 

 made up as follows : 



Land at 4 per acre 20 



Fencing, 30 chains at 6s. a chain . . . 900 

 Brushing (i.e. clearing away scrub), 12s. an 



acre 300 



Carryforward . : 32 



