OBSERVATIONS OX THE CULTIVATION OF THE VANILLA PLANT. 37 



exhale. The pods that burst open are generally the finest and best : but 

 they must be closed up again (by the reunion of their two edges), the result 

 of a delicate operation. The open part of the pod must be soaked in luke- 

 warm water, and the edges being brought together, the pod is bound round 

 strongly with filets of silk. Thus prepared, the pods are hung up in the 

 air to be thoroughly dried, by means of the silk bound round them, which 

 serves to keep the opening closed. We might even omit the warm water, 

 when the part that had burst is closed, to assist the process of drying. 



The silk filets may be rewound two or three times, by degrees, as the 

 pods diminish in size as they become dry. 



Notwithstanding the superior aroma of the burst pods, on account of their 

 having been perfectly ripe, they become round from the pressure of the silk 

 wound around them ; but they are not appreciated, commercially speaking. 

 Merchants are not accustomed to the sight of the article in this condition. 



The silk filets (named above) should be made flat, and may be used for 

 several years. The pods to be gathered whole, should be held by the top, 

 and separated from the bunch by pressing them sharply on one side. Some 

 persons take hold of the pod by the middle, or by the stalk, and draw it 

 towards them ; it happens then that the Vanilla is broken, and frequently 

 the entire bunch is broken off, green and ripe pods together. Others gather 

 their crop by using their nails ; but they thus prevent uniformity in the 

 size of the packets, and throw difficulties in the way of disposing of the 

 article. At the end of the gathering, the latest pods ripening at the same 

 time, the whole bunch should be gathered at once. 



On the Preparation of the Pods. — At each gathering, after the pods have 

 been detached from the clusters, and placed in a basket, the basket is 

 dipped for eighteen or twenty seconds in a vessel of hot, but not boiling, 

 water. It would be preferable to scald the Vanilla separately, but only for 

 fifteen seconds. To know when the water is sufficiently warm, try, by dip- 

 ping in a finger, if the heat is just as much as can be borne for a second or 

 two ; or watch for the moment when a thick steam arises from the water, 

 just as the water produces a kind of sound, which happens a few seconds 

 before the water attains the boiling point and ebullition begins. 



After this the pods are immediately removed from the basket, and placed 

 on dry grass, mats, or gunnies, where they may drain dry. 



About a quarter of an hour after this operation the pods should be put 

 out in the sun, upon tables previously prepared with woollen coverings, or 

 blankets, where they may remain for six or eight days, or even longer, until 

 they become brown and faded. 



Every evening they should be collected together, and placed in boxes 

 carefully covered with woollen cloths, in order that they may be sweated. 

 When they become faded and brown, from exposure to the sun, they must 

 be placed in the shade, in an airy locality, still remaining on the tables with 

 the woollen coverings, in order to hasten the drying, to prevent their be- 

 coming mouldy, and particularly that they may, though dry, retain the 

 suppleness in the market. 



