VANILLA 89 



WORLD'S VANILLA CROPS 



" Mr. Hermann Mayer, senior, sends us the following 

 statistics of the 1909-1910 vanilla productions : 



Tons. 



Seychelles . . . . . . .10 



Bourbon ....... 35 



Mexican ....... 70 



Comores, Mayotte, etc. .... 40 



Madagascar and Nossi Be . . . . 25 



Mauritius ....... 2 



Ceylon, Java, Fiji, Zanzibar, etc. . . 10 

 Guadeloupe and Martinique . . .15 

 Tahiti 180 



Total (say about) . .390 



"This quantity falls 110 tons short of the 1908-1909 crop, 

 and, as Tahiti shows an increase of 40 tons, the actual deficiency 

 in the finer qualities totals 150 tons, or 40 per cent on the 

 previous year's yield, which was of full average extent. Prices 

 during the past twelvemonth have moved in accord with the 

 statistical position, showing an improvement of 30 to 40 per 

 cent for all varieties except Tahiti ; these have profited by the 

 shortage of all other sorts and maintained their value, notwith- 

 standing the larger returns. Only unimportant balances remain 

 in the colonies, and, as new crops are unlikely to be landed in 

 quantity before November next, statistically the position appears 

 exceptionally sound" (The Chemist and Druggist, April 30, 

 1910). 



USES 



Vanilla is chiefly used as a flavouring for chocolate, 

 confectionery, and liqueurs, and formerly to a certain 

 extent in medicine, as an aromatic stimulant with a 

 tendency towards the nervous system, and it was 

 formerly used in cases of hysteria and low fevers, and 

 also as a flavouring for medicines. It has long had a 

 reputation as an aphrodisiac. 



Practically its use in medicine has been now 

 abandoned. 



Piesse gives the following account of the preparation 



