78 SPICES 



CHAP. 



ducing centres of this spice. The plant was introduced 

 from Manila in 1848, and in 1850 the cultivation 

 began to extend largely, until it attained a very con- 

 siderable development. Of late years, however, Tahiti 

 vanilla seems to have deteriorated, and its price in 1904 

 fell very low. 



There have been many and various suggestions as 

 to the cause of this deterioration. It is suggested by 

 M. Busse that the plant cultivated in Tahiti is a local 

 variety altered by climatic influences from the original 

 form. Others suggest that the methods of preparation 

 are not suitable, and that the habit of the Chinese of 

 buying up green pods and roughly preparing them, and 

 then fraudulently mixing them with good pods, is the 

 cause of the fall in price ; and again, it is pointed out 

 that it is not yet certain that the Tahiti plant is the 

 same as the true Mexican V. planifolia. 



Whatever be the cause, the result is said to be that 

 the pods are poor in vanillin and have too strong a 

 scent of heliotrope, or piper onal. For this reason the 

 Tahiti vanilla can hardly be used at all as a condiment, 

 and can only be used in perfumery. The fall in price 

 is shown by the following table : 



s. d. s. d. 



In 1897-1899 . . 9 5 to 5 2 per Ib. 



1900 

 1901 

 1902 

 1904 



3 llfperlb. 



4 4 

 2 11 



Of 



1 Of 



The export is still, however, very considerable. The 

 following is the record of export for some years : 



IQOK A mn i_ii i om CIA KOK i ! 



1885 . . 4,919 kilos 



1886 . . 8,408 



1887 . . 7,610 



1888 . . 12,569 



1889 . . 8,789 



1890 . . 15,882 



1891 . . 24,585 kilos 



1892 . . 28,560 



1901 . . 92,398 



1902 . ." 134Jtons 



1904 . . 134,405 kilos 



1905 . . 122,083 



Of this the United States took 92 tons, France 

 tons. The rest went to New Zealand and England. 



