118 



inconvenient shoots, as the plant's sap is more apt to go into flowering 

 branches, where nourishment is now more needed. Could the whole 

 work be performed in a few days, this change in the direction of sap 

 flow should be done preferably ten days or a fortnight before flowers 

 begin to open. In a large plantation, unless the hands are very numer- 

 ous or the shoots have been arranged beforehand so that there is little 

 else to do than cut their ends, it will take some weeks to accomplish this, 

 and therefore work must begin earlier or finish later. If the dry spell 

 necessary for flowering has lasted a good while and can fairly be de- 

 pended upon to continue long enough, the growing ends may r be cut 

 earlier ; but it must be borne in mind that if rain in quantity ccmes too 

 soon and, in addition to the stimulus given by it, the branches intended 

 for flowering have also the sap from previously growing shoots poured 

 into them, the chance of their cropping well will be much diminished. 

 Many a promise cf a fine crop is ruined by too early rain here. The 

 country, climate, and the planters' skill as a weather prophet must gov- 

 ern this undertaking. 



An abundant supply of leaf mould should be in readiness for laying 

 on the roots at this season, and should be applied when flowers begin 

 to open, or a little before. If previous dressings have been so timed 

 that vines are in a somewhat straved condition when flowering is 

 expected, the chances of a good blossoming are increased, but this 

 practice needs judgment, or a poor quality of pods will be the result. 



There used to be a strong current here, no doubt with some grain of 

 truth in it, to the effect that in a very wet season the only vanilla 

 planter who had any crop was one whose pigs had got adrift in his 

 plantation and spent the night in grubbing up vanilla roots. This 

 method of producing flowers is not recommended, but it is quite possible 

 that careful and systematic root pruning might be carried on with ad- 

 vantage in wet years, if one could tell before hand when these were coming, 



POLLINATION OF THE FLOWERS. 



The work of flower fertilization (pollination )-f or they have all to be 

 fertilized by hand, and that on the day they open — is mostly done by 

 women and children. The operation is a very simple one, and an 

 average negro will acquire the knack after being shown a few examples. 



Explanation of Plate.* 

 Fig. 1.— Portion of stem of Vanilla plant, with haf, aerial root, and 

 cluster of flowers ; a, front view of Vanilla flower ; b, side 

 view ; c aerial root, with root hairs. 

 Fig. 2. — Single flower of Vanilla, exhibiting the first stage in the pro- 

 cess of artificial fertilization The operator provided with a 

 finely pointed piece of bamboo, divides the lip or labellum 

 medially, so that the central lobe is separated from the two 

 side lobes. This exposes the column and organs of fecunda- 

 tion. The instrument is represented as placed against the 

 column, ready to press upwards the anther a, and bring the 

 pollinia in contact with the stigma b. 

 Fig. 3. — Single flower of Vanilla, exhibiting the second stage in the 

 process of artificial fertilization ; b shows position of column 

 exposed by division of the lip [the middle lobe of lip is pulled 

 forwaid and curled upon itself to show the position of the- 

 * From Kew Bulletin. 



