304 The Supplement to the Tropical Agriculturist 



with the result that there is a proportionately 

 larger quantity available locally. Despite the 

 advanced market in regard to copra and coco- 

 nuts, fibre has maintained a practically pheno- 

 menal local market value. The latest trans- 

 actions have been at Rl "60 per cwt. in bundles 

 delivered at wharf ; but should the weather 

 change in any marked degree, millers will be 

 placed at a disadvantage inasmuch as they will 

 not have the 3ame facilities for drying. The 

 failure of the N.-E. monsoon may, perhaps, bo 

 counterbalanced by the advent of an earlier 

 South- West. In this latter event, the transport 

 oflibre from the mills outside Colombo to the 

 Metropolis will be greatly hampered and 

 there is every probability of the market showing 

 a decided advance in the near future. For the 

 present Millers hesitate in making forward 

 contracts. 



HOW VANILLA IS GROWN 

 IN HAWAII. 



Pbocess of Pollen ating the Blossoms and 

 Cueing the Beans— Profitable Business. 



The growing of the Vanilla bean of commerce 

 has attaiuod considerable importance in Hawaii, 

 whore a number of successful small plantations 

 have been producing for a number of years. 

 Jared G Smith, late director of the United 

 States Agiicultural Experiment Station in 

 Honolulu, gives the following interesting des- 

 cription of the growing of vanilla in his book, 

 "Agriculture in Hawaii':— 



"The vanilla bean is the cured and fermented 

 fruit of a climbing orchid. The finished pods 

 are very dark brown or black, glossy, somewhat 

 wrinkled on the surface, from five to eight inches 

 long and about as thick as a lead pencil. The 

 vanilla extract of commerce is simply an alco- 

 holic extract. 



"The vanilla plant is grown either on a trellis 

 or is planted at the base of a tree so that it can 

 clamber up the trunk. Any soil is suitable, 

 provided the drainage is good. It grows well 

 in regions or abundant rainfall on the Kona 

 (south or southwest) side of the islands. A mean 

 temperature of 65 to 75 dog. gives good results. 



"The plants are propagated from cuttings, 

 which are simply lengths of the vine itself, 

 from two to six feet long. The length of the 

 cutting has some relation to flower produc- 

 tion, the longer ones yielding flowers in a 

 shorter period. The leaves are cut from the 

 lower end of the cutting and the stripped 

 portion of the stalk is buried horizontally under 

 two or three inches of soil and rotting leaves. 

 The upper end of the cutting is fastened to the 

 trunk of the supporting tree to which it soon 

 becomes tightly attached by its aerial roots'. 



"The vanilla plant begins to flower during its 

 second or third year and continues flower pro- 

 duction until seven or eight years old. Culti- 

 vation consists in keeping down the weeds and 

 underbrush in the plantation. 



u The vanilla plant only baar^ pods when the 

 flowers are hand pollenated. This is a delicate 

 operation not difficult to learn. Any one who 



attempts it becomes quickly proficient so that 

 a good many flowers can be pollenated 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 compli- 

 cated one. After gathering, the green pods are 

 spread out and exposed to the air for 24 hours, 

 being roughly assorted into grades according to 

 Eiize. After being graded, the pods are sweated 

 between the folds of woollen blankets exposed 

 to the heat of direct sunshine. During the per- 

 iod of fermentation the pods turn dark brown, 

 become soft and leathery and sweat freely. 

 The pods are manipulated for several days 

 until the proper degree of colour and aroma 

 have developed. After the fermentation they 

 are dried in the sun for a few hours and fin- 

 ally 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 poda are sorted to size and colour, tied in 

 bundles and those packages packed in tin-lined 

 boxes which are soldered when full. 



" The yield par acre in Hawaii has been esti- 

 mated at about 13,000 pods, producing about 

 120 pounds 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 

 a3 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 to §,500 worth of beans per aero 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 forthe cultivation of this crop.' 1 

 — Haivaii Promotion Committee Pre^s News. 



RUBBER IN MALAYA IN 1908. 



Acreage and Prospects.. 

 Co.uoo Acres Opened Last Year. 



Mr. Carvuthers, in conversation with a con- 

 temporary, said that according to the returns he 

 has obtained, there were, on December 3lst last, 

 37,000,000 rubber trees growing in the Malaya 

 Peninsula, including the new territory, Kelantan, 

 with upwards of 2,000 acres already in rubber. 

 00,000 acres were opened in 1908—40,001) were in 

 the Federated Malay States— the total being 

 rather more than in 1907. 



Increase in Yield. 



The yield per tree for 1908 worked out at one 

 ounce more than in 1907, viz : 1 lb. 14 oz. per 

 tree. The average increase of girth per annum, 

 Mr. Carruthers put (at a guess) at rather less 

 than four inches, because rubber growing in 

 lalang came along very slowly. He was glad to 



