92 SPICES 



CHAP. 



sapwood of certain pine trees. Since then a number of 

 processes for the manufacture of artificial vanillin on a 

 commercial scale have been devised. In 1891 De Laire 

 commenced to work a process for forming it from 

 eugenol, the substance to which oil of cloves owes its 

 characteristic odour. This process was carried on from 

 1891 to 1896 without producing any material change 

 in the price of natural vanilla, but in 1897 a period of 

 competition set in between various continental firms, 

 which resulted in the fall on the price of vanilla from 

 9 per Ib. in 1890 to 1 : Is. per Ib. in 1903. 



The vanillin being made from eugenol, the price of 

 it depended on that of oil of cloves, from which the 

 eugenol was obtained. But in 1891 a patent was taken 

 out for making vanillin electrolytically from sugar. 



Vanilla, however, kept its price up to from 17s. to 

 19s. 6d. per Ib. till November 1904, in spite of the fact 

 that an equivalent amount of artificial vanillin could 

 be purchased for a thirtieth part of the cost of the 

 natural product. This was perhaps due partly to the 

 conservatism of the consumers of vanilla, and partly due 

 to an idea that there were other aromatic substances in 

 the pods which were not in the artificial substance. 1 



The French vanilla-growers have formed a " Ligue 

 a la defense de la vanille," and have attempted to obtain 

 the passing of legislation to compel users of artificial 

 vanillin to mark it on their products, and to tax the 

 import of it into France. 



Although artificial vanilla is so much cheaper and 

 can be put on the market at so much lower a figure, 

 the cultivation of the real thing is by no means one of 

 the past. Good vanilla is in request, and will probably 

 always remain so, and though the large profits formerly 

 made in this cultivation will probably not be obtained 

 again, still it is well worthy of attention by the tropical 

 planter, and if carefully managed should bring a good 

 substantial profit. 



1 Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, 1904. 



