VANILLA 79 



Fiji Islands. A few attempts have been made to 

 produce an extensive culture of the plant here, but 

 there is as yet but little exported. 



Honolulu. The Agricultural Station Eeport of 

 Hawaii for 1903 gives some account of attempts to 

 introduce and develop the industry here. In 1902 two 

 plants produced 300 pods, and in 1903, 150, about a 

 quarter being of good size and quality. The writer says 

 that plants over-cropped soon die, the roots and stalk 

 rot, or the whole vine becomes yellowish, the leaves soft 

 and white, the tendrils (aerial roots) dry and the plant 

 dies. He estimates the following returns from an acre 

 in Honolulu : 



Each plant produces 10 pods ; there are two plants 

 to a support, and 680 supports to an acre ; this gives 

 13,600 pods. 1000 fresh pods weigh 45 lb., 13,000 pods 

 give 58 lb., which when cured weigh 120 lb. ; one-half 

 of this should be of good superior quality, valued at 6 to 

 9 American dollars a pound, the balance valued at 1*25 

 to 4 dollars a pound, giving a return of 435 dollars, i.e. 

 87 per acre. 



Australia. Nothing seems as yet to have been done 

 in the cultivation of vanilla in Australia. Mr. Howard 

 Newport, however, in an article on vanilla culture 

 in Queensland (Queensland Agricultural Journal, 

 April 1910, p. 184), urges the cultivation to the atten- 

 tion of the planter. He shows the suitability of the 

 forest, soil, and climate, a temperature between 70 and 

 90 Fahr. and a rainfall from 50 to 60 up to 200, well 

 distributed, with August to October (the flowering season 

 of the vanilla) fairly dry months. His photographs 

 show that he at least has cultivated some successfully, 

 and there really does not seem to be any reason why 

 Australia should not grow its own vanilla. 



Summary. It will be noticed from this distribution 

 of the cultivation area that it practically extends from 

 lat. 20 N. to lat. 20 S., but that of this area a consider- 

 able portion is more or less unsuitable ; part doubtless on 

 account of its long dry periods, such as on the mainland 



