42 THE ORCHID REVIEW. 
a vanillery, the first thing is to thin the trees to the proper distance, = 
which the cuttings are planted, and, if they do well, may be prepared for 
cropping in about eighteen months, more or less, according to the — 
This is accomplished by stopping the shoots twice. Shoots are then 
produced which hang down some four to six feet, and this process a 
to flowering. Flowers take some six weeks to develop after they — : 
push. A top dressing of leaf mould should be applied to the roots whe 
the flowers begin to open, or a little before. : 
The flowers have’ to be fertilised by hand, on the day they open, an 
this is mostly done by women and children, who are paid seven ier 
day for the work. The operation consists of removing the flap- : 
rostellum and pressing the pollen on to the stigma, a small piece of har 
wood of the size of a toethpick, flattened at one end, being used for the 
_ purpose. The work is rapidly performed, and, with flowers fairly numerous, 
an ordinary hand will pollinate a hundred or so per hour. Early ities 
from 7 to 9, is the best time, but the work may be started with sunrise an 
carried on well into the afternoon, though, about mid-day, the flowers begin 
to close and the work goes slower. Most plants produce more flowets 
than it is desirable to fertilise, and the number of pods must be esti 
according to the plant’s size and condition. The number of clusters 0 
flowers will depend upon the size and condition of the plant, and, generally 
speaking, five or six out of a cluster of ten flowers may be fertilised. 
About thirty pods to a vine is as many as should be left, and he would be 
a lucky planter who would average that number. If the flower is fertilised, 
it slowly withers up, but, in case of failure, it falls off in two or three days, 
and when enough in a cluster are set, the remaining buds are broken call 
Pods grow to their full size in five or six weeks, but take some eight 
months to ripen, which is indicated by a slight yellowing of the whole 
pod. They must be gathered carefully, and, in order to guard against 
splitting and yet gather them at perfect rip 
other day. After each day’s gathering, 
into four classes : long, 
eness, they are gone over every 
it is well to’ sort the pods roughly 
medium, short, and split. 
Now comes the Process of curing for market. Several methods are 
employed, but the one described is consider 
any. About 400 of the lon 
into hot water (about 1go° 
with intervals of half-a- 
ed as simple and successful as 
Closely covered up with the same miiterial. The 2 
now treated with the water a trifle cooler, or the : 
ened. The exact temperature of the water may vary 
remaining lots are 
dipping a trifle short 
