November, 1909.] 



425 



Edible Products. 



"The vanilla plant only bears pods 

 when the flowers are hand pollinated. 

 This is a delicate operation not difficult 

 to learn. Auyone who attempts it be- 

 comes quickly proficient, so that a good 

 nnny flowers can be pollinated in the 

 course of a day. The pod matures in 

 from six to eight months, becoming 

 hard, thick, and greenish-yellow. They 

 are gathered before ripe. 



" The curing process is a somewhat 

 complicated one. After gathering, the 

 green pods are spread out and exposed 

 to the air for twenty-four hours, being 

 roughly assorted into grades according 

 to size. After being graded, the pods 

 are sweated between the folds of woollen 

 blankets exposed to the heat of direct 

 sunshine. During the period of ferment- 

 ation, the pods turn dark-brown, be- 

 come soft and leathery, and sweat freely. 

 The pods are manipulated for several 

 days until the proper degrees of colour 

 and aroma have developed. After the 

 fermentation, they are dried iu the sun 

 for a few hours and finally in cloth- 

 covered trays in the shade with gentle 

 heat. When fully dried— that is, when 

 the pods no longer lose weight, but are 

 still moist and pliable to the touch — 

 they are packed tightly in tin boxes, 

 and are again manipulated in bulk for 

 one or two months. When completely 

 cured, the pods are sorted to size and 

 colour, tied in bundles, and these pack- 

 ages packed in tin-lined boxes which are 

 soldered when full . 



"The yield per acre in Hawaii has 

 been estimated at about 13,000 pods, 

 producing about 1201b. of finished vanilla 

 beans fully cured and ready for the 

 market. 



" The industry is a very profitable one 

 for persons having sufficient means who 

 will give this industry their personal 

 supervision. The price of the vanilla 

 bean depends as much upon the outward 

 appearance of the finished product as 

 upon its actual quality as indicated by 

 aroma and flavour. Care is, therefore, 

 necessary at every stage in the growth 

 and fermentation of the crop. 



"Five acres of vanilla in bearing 

 should yield from 400 dollars to 500 

 dollars worth of beans per acre per 

 annum after the third year. There are 

 vanilla plantations in the Kona district, 

 on the island of Hawaii, and in the Kona 

 district of Oahu, near Honolulu. Much 

 land is still available which is entirely 

 suitable for the cultivation of this crop." 



GINGER. 

 By W. Harris, p.l.s. 



(Prom the Bulletin of the Department 

 of Agriculture, Jamaica, Vol. I., No. 2.) 



Ginger (Zingiber officinale, Rose) — 

 is a native of tropical Asia and was in- 

 troduced to Jamaica during the Spanish 

 occupation of the Island. 



Sir Hanas Sloane, 1687-89, states that 

 the plant was then cultivated in all 

 parts oF the Island. It is now grown 

 principally in the uplands of Clarendon, 

 Manchester, St. James, Trelawny, 

 Portland and St. Thomas ; the total area 

 under this cultivation last year being 

 260 acres. According to the Collector- 

 General's Report for the year ended 31st 

 March, 1908, the quantity of ginger ex- 

 ported for the year was 15,437 cwts. 

 valued at £40,043. 



The amount used locally in the manu- 

 facture of ginger-beer, &c, is also con- 

 siderable. 



Soil and Climate.— The virgin soil 

 of the forest produces the best ginger, 

 but a well-drained, clay loam is suitable, 

 and the rainfall must be abundant — 80 

 inches and upwards per annum, with 

 a temperate climate. 



Planting.— Pieces of rhizomes, each 

 containing an " eye" or bud are planted 

 a few inches below the surface in holes 

 or trenches in March or April. 



Harvesting. — "Plant" ginger is har- 

 vested during December and January, 

 but "ratoons" may be gathered from 

 March to December. 



The rhizomes are ready for digging 

 when the stems wither, which takes 

 place soon after flowering. 



Peeling. — When the rhizomes are 

 dug, they are peeled with a knife spe- 

 cially made for the purpose. This oper- 

 ation requires much care and experience. 

 As a rule, experienced operators peel 

 between the " fingers " of the rhizomes, 

 the other portions being peeled by less 

 experienced workers. This work is 

 always done by women and children. 

 As fast as peeled the rhizomes are 

 thrown into water and washed, the 

 purer the water and more freely it is 

 used the whiter will be the product. 

 The ginger peeled during the day is 

 allowed to remain in the water over 

 night. 



Curing. — After washing, the rhizomes 

 are spread out on barbecues or on mats 

 in the sun early in the morning. They 

 are turned during the day, and are 

 taken under cover during cloudy or 

 rainy weather and at night, as if allowed 

 to get damp they become mouldy. The 



