Chemical Preparations and Drugs. 101 



the rivers Nantla and Tuxpan. French colonists who settled on the banks of the Nantla 

 river in the 19 th century learnt the cultivation of vanilla from the natives and were 

 soon successful. (According to Preuss 6 ) the plantations were in a bad state in 1900 

 but have been enlarged continuously since.) The vanilla grows best in rich, sand soil, 

 not drained too thoroughly, at an altitude of 1000 feet above sea-level. It is sheltered 

 by the trees of the forest or by trees planted for that purpose. 



There are different varieties of vanilla in the vicinity of Misantla. They are not 

 so plentiful nor are they considered so good as the Papantla beans. These indigenous 

 varieties are the cimarror, the -mestizo, and the ma nsa. When they are cured, only an 

 expert can distinguish between the various classes. There is also a wild bean known 

 as vanilla plotano. which the Indians eat. This differs from the ordinary vanilla in that 

 the plant is much smaller but has larger leaves. 



In order to avoid plundering of their crops, the planters cut the vanilla early, 

 sometimes in October and November instead of in January and February. As a result 

 the beans weigh a pound less per thousand than they would normally. 



For commercial purposes vanilla is divided into four classes: grandefina (20 cm.), 

 chica fina (10 to 15 cm.), zacata and basura. The former two differ only in length, 

 whereas their weight is almost the same. The zacata, which is a larger bean than the 

 former two, grows more abundantly along the roadsides in the warm and hot regions 

 of Mexico, where formerly it was considered to be without commercial value. 



The exports from Mexico were as follows: in 1912/13 == 288766 kilos to the value 

 of 3315471 Pesos; 1918 = 45066 kilos to the value of 505020 Pesos; 1919 = 197403 kilos 

 to the value of 2333264 Pesos. 



According to W. M. Doherty 1 ) Mexican vanilla beans average 2 per cent, Java and 

 Bourbon beans about 2.75 to 2.9 per cent, of vanillin. Tahiti vanilla is but of little 

 value in comparison, as it contains only 0.6 to 0.7 per cent, of Vanillin. 



Guadeloupe vanilla is generally classed among the inferior kinds 2 ) although it may 

 come very near the Mexican product if properly treated. As Ch. A. Smeltzer 3 ) states 

 the Guadeloupe planters have generally not cured the beans carefully enough nor in 

 the proper way, so that their commercial value suffered. The Guadeloupe vanilla begins 

 flowering in March, at which time the flowers are fecundated by the natives, who use 

 a small wooden instrument (similar to a tooth-pick). Quite often the natives fecundate 

 too many flowers on the same raceme with the result that the beans are apt to be 

 thin and short. Another disadvantage is that the native planters gather the beans often 

 immature (it takes about nine months for the vanilla to ripen). When thoroughly cured, 

 this immature vanilla will result in a dry, ordinary quality bean ; but the average curer, 

 who is curing for weight and not for quality, permits the moisture to remain in the 

 bean, with the result that his product reaches the market in apparently good condition, 

 but soon gets mouldy. On the other hand, the fully-matured bean will never lose its 

 good quality. 



Frequently the beans are cured in Guadeloupe by the hot water method, which 

 involves the smallest loss in weight. However, only the Mexican or sweating method, 

 introduced in the island already 30 years ago by M. Fox, leads to a first class vanilla. 

 Smeltzer has the beans assorted first and then "needled". This is done by making four 

 scratches on the outer surface of the bean from end to end, deep enough to break 

 through the skin, in order to permit the moisture to escape. This enables the bean to 



*) Journ. and Proceed. Royal Soc. of New South Wales 57, p. 157. As per Chern. Ztg. 45 (1921), 696. 

 9 Cf. Reports April 1902, 100; October 1909, 142. — *) Americ. Perfumer 15 (1921), 197. 



