13 



1. The process of drying in a stove by means of hot waterj is the 

 one resorted to. On the day of the cropping, or the next day at latest, 

 the pods are put to dry by heat in thin cases of the following dimensions: 

 — 0.220 metres by 0.220 metres by 0.350 metres. Old petroleum oil 

 tins are generally used for the purpose. The size may be slightly 

 altered, but the width and breadth of the box should not be too large, 

 as the vanilla in the centre should be subjected to the same heat as that 

 which is nearest to the j-ides of the box. Otherwise the treatment of the 

 pods in the centre wouKi not be assimilated to that of those at the sides, 

 and the resultant colouring would be sHghtly different. 



These boxes are fitted with lids closing on the outside of the box* 

 They are lined with wool carefully arranged along the bottom and up 

 the sides, and a little over the top of the sides. 



The vanilla pods are placed on end close enough to secure pressure 

 without damage by rubbing; a horizontal layer is placed on top of these, 

 the woolen covering is folded over all and the lid put on. 



The boxes thus arranged are put into the halves of wine barrels 

 and hot water emptied into the barrels up to the lid of the boxes care 

 being taken that no water gets into the boxes. In order to prevent the 

 sudden cooling of the hot water, the barrel is covered with a piece of 

 sacking. It is left thus covered during one night. 



2. Next morning the pods are withdrawn and exposed in the air 

 for some time to dry ; then for two or three days they are kept under 

 woolen coverings in full sunlight. 



For this operation low wooden boxes are used, a single layer of 

 pods being placed in the bottom and covered with a woolen cloth. The 

 boxes are placed in sunlight on trestles to prevent contact with more or 

 less moist earth. After this operation the colouring of all the pods wiU 

 be uniform if the drying by hot water has been properly done. 



Now is the moment to proceed to the drying operation. 



3. The old methods of preparation, drying in the open air upon 

 screens in an airy situation, or in hot-air stoves, in which the heat is 

 constantly renewed, result in a loss of perfr.me and at the same time 

 require a large amount of hand labour. These drawbacks are avoided 

 by drying in closed vessels by means of chloride of calcium, 0a0l2. 



This operation is carried on in boxes of galvanised iron with a 

 hinged door and closing on an india rubber edging to ensure air-tight- 

 ness. 



Each box has eleven drawers or trays; the bottom and the sixth 

 drawers are for the vessels containing chloride of calcium, the others 

 are for holding the vanilla; in the former are placed 18 kilos, of chloride 

 of calcium and in the latter 45 kilos, of vanilla. 



The vanilla is laid upon wooden hurdle-shaped frames resting upon 

 little brackets rivetted into the sides of the box. The tray can thus be 

 drawn out in order to arrange the vanilla properly. Several layers are 

 placed on each tray. 



The trays should not be made of resinous or smelling woods, as 

 yaniUa absorbs and retain odours it comes in contact with; the hurdling 

 is made of split rattans. 



