124 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY — PUBLICATION NO. 13 



than 1,000 and most planters estimate between 

 2,500 and 4,000 plants. However, after a few 

 years, one loses track ; some plants dry, but sprout 

 anew, and the vine spreads widely and takes root, 

 giving rise to new plants. 



Except fov pollination, which is very delicate 

 and tediou? work, vanilla requires a minimum of 

 care. The field is not weeded. Supporting trees 

 are hacked from time to time with a machete, so 

 that they will not attain great height and so that 

 a certain amount of sun may penetrate. Actually, 

 to the uninitiated, a vanilla field looks precisely 

 like a scrubby patch of monte hajo — as indeed it is. 

 Underbrush is heavy and no effort is made to clear 

 it. 



The first year, the vanilla does not bloom ; 52 the 

 recond, it produces a few flowers, but generally 

 they are not pollinated — especially, if the vine 

 "looks thin and somewhat yellow." In that case, 

 it is left untouched, "to gather strength." Since 

 a plant which bears too heavily dies, care is taken 

 not to overpollinate young vines. Flowers are 

 borne in clusters and even with a mature vine, not 

 more than four to six blossoms of each cluster 

 are pollinated. The maximum annual yield of 

 a single vine is calculated very optimistically by 

 informants at about 100 pods. 



In late April or early May, the vanilla starts 

 to bloom and for about 3 weeks produces a quan- 

 tity of flowers. However, a given blossom is open 

 only one morning and must be pollinated at once. 

 During these weeks of spring, men, women, and 

 children go almost every morning to work in the 

 vanilla fields. Some families hire additional help, 

 at $5.00 pesos the morning, the workers being local 

 residents who have little or no vanilla of their 

 own to tend. 



To pollinate, the blossom (pi. 8, a) is opened 

 with an upward slash, using a small, sharp stick. 

 The tip of the latter then is inserted beneath a 

 of figure 13 ; with great care, the pollen is removed 

 on the point of the instrument and then is inserted 

 beneath b. The pollen must enter in precisely 

 the same position as it is removed (that is, the 

 stick must not be turned), otherwise, it is said, 

 fertilization is not successful. 



M However, planting takes place after pollination, and some- 

 times a new cutting already bears four or five young pods per 

 cluster of flowers at the time it is planted. These are not re- 

 moved but are allowed to mature. 



Figure 13. — Vanilla blossom. The labellum has been 

 split with a delicate, chisel-pointed stick; with the 

 same instrument, the pollen is removed from beneath 

 a and is inserted beneath b. 



If wild vanilla (pompona) is at hand, it some- 

 times is used for pollination. The flower is cut 

 and carried to the cultivated vine, where the pollen 

 is removed from the wild bloom and is passed to 

 the pistil of the cultivated one. The procedure is 

 identical, except that two flowers are involved 

 instead of one. The resulting pods are larger 

 and heavier, but usually are considered less de- 

 sirable. 



If pollination has been successful, a minute pod 

 is visible about a week later. Vines are inspected 

 carefully, and if necessary new blossoms are pol- 

 linated, so as to have maximum yield. 



As a matter of convenience, most pollinate the 

 blossoms which are within easy reach. High 

 ones, although troublesome, have the advantage 

 of being less subject to theft. For blossoms out 

 of reach, the planter lashes a rope firmly between 

 the trunks of two nearby trees, and steps on this 

 improvised tightrope. 



The stick for pollination is specially prepared. 

 Some think that the wood is of little importance; 

 others will use nothing but the heart of the chaca 

 (No. 228). The sticks we have seen are 12 to 

 15 cm. long; but diameter may vary from 3 mm. 

 to 2 cm. Regardless of thickness, the tip is whit- 

 tled with a knife or machete until it has a delicate, 

 chisel-shaped point. 



HARVESTING 



After pollination, the vanilla is left to its own 

 devices until fall, when the pods are collected. 



