Edible Products. 



228 



[September, 1909. 



The whole fruit is agreeably fragrant and 

 aromatic, and in China and Japan is much 

 used as a condiment in cookery, also for 

 chewing after meals to sweeten the breath 

 and as a digestive, It forms an important 

 article of commerce in the Far East, and 

 is imported into Europe and America to 

 some extent for flavouring liqueurs and 

 spirits, being the chief flavouring ingredi- 

 ent in the French " Anissette de Bordeaux." 

 An aromatic oil is obtained from the fruit by 

 distillation resembling Oil-of-anise. Seeds 

 have been obtained on diffferent occasions 

 and sown at Peradeniya, but never ger- 

 minated. It is said that the Chinese always 

 take good care to boil the seed before it leaves 

 the country, so as to maintain the monopoly 

 of the spice. The Japanese Star Anise is 

 the fruit of Illicium a.nisatum, which has 

 somewhat the odour of Bay leaves. 



Turmeric, " Kaha," S. {Curcuma longa, 

 N. O. Scitaminese). — A pereninial herb, 

 about 2 feet high, cultivated throughout 

 tropical Asia. The rhizome or tuberous 

 roots, which are of a yellow colour and a 

 waxy resinous consistency, are ground into 

 a fine orange-yellow powder, which has an 

 aromatic taste somewhat resembling ginger. 

 It is commonly used as a condiment in 

 Native cookery, and is a prominent consti- 

 tuent of curry powder ; it is also employed 

 in India for dyeing wool and silk. Turmeric 

 is cultivated in India, whence it is chiefly 

 exported to Europe, &c. The annual yield 

 is from 12,000 to 16,000 lbs. per acre. 

 Turmeric fetches at x^resent in London bd. 

 to Id. per lb. The plant is propagated by 

 the rhizomes, or division of the crown, and 

 is suited to loose rich soil under partial 

 shade, in a hot and moist climate up to 2,000 

 feet. Cultivation same as for Ginger. 



Vanilla ( Vanilla planifolia. N. O, Orchi- 

 dere). — A creeping vine with long fleshy 

 leaves, native of Mexico, and introduced 

 into Ceylon in 1847. " Vanilla Beans " are 

 the dried and cured pod-like fruits, so 

 much esteemed from early times for flavour- 

 ing purposes. Vanillin, the flavouring sub- 

 stance of Vanilla, has of late been pro- 

 duced artificially, and this together with 

 over-production of the natural article has 

 resulted in making the latter a less profitable 

 cultivation. The vine thrives best in a hot 

 and fairly humid climate, from sea-level 

 to about 1,500 feet ; it requires support in 

 the form of light-foliaged trees, or trellises 

 of bamboo, &c, and a mound of humous 

 soil or leaf-mould should be placed round 

 its roots at the base. Among the best live 

 supports for Vanilla are Physic-nut (Jatropha 

 Curcas J, Calabash (Crescentia CujeteJ, 

 Erythrinas, and the Temple Tree (Plumiera 

 alba J. Cuttings of the vine from three to 

 six feet long should be planted against the 

 trees or other supports, and tied up to these 

 until established. At the end of 18 months 



the plants should be pruned back to induce 

 accessible branches. A crop may be ex- 

 pected in three years from the time of plant- 

 ing. The principal flowering season of the 

 vine in Ceylon is April to May. Owing to 

 the construction of the flowers it is neces- 

 sary to pollinate or "marry" them by 

 hand, as otherwise no fruits will set. The 

 marrying process must be done in the 

 morning or forenoon ; the operation consists 

 of lifting the adhesive pollen masses on a 

 pencil and bringing these in contact with the 

 viscid stigmatic surface. An expert can 

 pollinate from 600 to 700 flowers in half a 

 day. Not more than six flowers in a 

 cluster should be fertilised, and a vine 

 should not be made to bear more than 

 25 to 30 pods, half that number being 

 sufficient for a weak plant. The fruits are 

 ready for gathering in six to nine months 

 after fertilisation of the flowers, the proper 

 state for harvesting being indicated by a 

 slight yellowing at the end of pods. The 

 latter when collected are dipped into almost 

 boiling water, then placed in the sun to dry, 

 after which they are "sweated," — that is, 

 rolled up in blankets every evening and placed 

 in a closed box to ferment, being spread in 

 the sun during each day. This process is 

 continued for 8 or 10 days, when the pods 

 will have become brown and pliable. When 

 cured, vanillin accumulates as crystals on 

 the pods. Pods which are inclined to 

 split should be tied up at the end with a 

 piece of thread. If for export, it is neces- 

 sary to further dry and occasionally turn 

 the pods under cover for five or six weeks, 

 when they may be graded, made up in 

 pound-packets and packed in soldered tins. 

 On an average 125 cured pods will weigh a 

 pound. They are usually exported in boxes 

 of 12 lbs. An acre of good Vanilla with 

 about 680 plants is considex'ed to give a 

 return of about 200 lbs. of cured pods. The 

 price of vanilla fluctuates from about 8s. to 

 18s. per lb. 



Vanillon or Vanillos (Vanilla pompona). 

 — A native also of Mexico, yielding an in- 

 ferior quality of vanilla known by the 

 names of " Vanillon " or "Vanillos." It 

 is claimed, however, to have advantages 

 over the Vanilla, its pods not having a 

 tendency to split, as well as being easily 

 cured, whilst the vines are said to flower 

 three or four times during the year. 



THE QUALITY OF TEA. 



(From the Chemist and Drugist, Vol. 

 LXXIV., No. 1534, June 1909.) 



The subject of what factors determine 

 the quality of tea, and of the best 

 methods of improving the quality of 

 certain grades, has long occupied the 

 attention of tea-growers, and has re- 



