74 



SPICES 



CHAP. 



The greater part of the crop is exported to France, 

 but a considerable proportion goes to England. 



The Colonial Office Keport for 1905 gives the follow- 

 ing table of exports to different countries, in values : 



Comoro Islands. The cultivation started in 1893, 

 and by 1903 there were more than 70,000 vines in 

 cultivation, giving a yield of 90,000 Ib. of pods. The 

 vine here grows up to an altitude of 2500 ft. In Great 

 Comoro 45,000 vines gave, in 1901, 1060 kilos of pods. 



In Moheli 700,000 vines gave, in 1901, 3000 kilos 

 of vanilla, which is described as being of a specially fine 

 flavour, and of unusual size. 



Anjouan Island possesses 1,200,000 vanilla plants, 

 which gave, in 1901, 16, and in 1902, 18 tons of pods. 



Mayotte possessed, in 1901, 500,000 vines, giving 

 13,000 kilos of pods, valued at 40,000 francs. 



Asia. The cultivation of vanilla has never been 

 large anywhere in Asia, although the plant has been 

 long introduced to most of the gardens and botanic 

 stations of the continent and islands. I can find no 

 records of any attempt to grow it commercially in India, 

 Siam, Cochin-China, or China. 



In Ceylon, Mr. W. H. Wright seems to have been 

 the first to cultivate it with some amount of success, 



