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VANILLA CULTIVATION IN HAWAII. 



The vanilla bean is the cured fruit of a vine belonging to the 

 orchid family. The term "bean" is a misnomer, as the plant is not. 

 a legume. The elongated fruit pods are from five to eight inches long 

 and the size of a lead pencil. They are black, glossy and somewhat 

 wrinkled on the surface and contain thousands of exceedingly minute 

 black seeds. 



The vanilla plant is a native of Mexico (PI. I). In 1808 Andrews 

 gave the name Vanilla plaiiifolia to the best varietty, known there as 

 mansa o fina. Today this plant is found wild in the light forests of 

 Southeast Mexico, Peru and on Luzon, Philippine Islands. It is also 

 extensively cultivated in the province of Vera Cruz, Mexico, and on the 

 islands of Reunion, Madagascar, Mauritius, Java, Fiji, Tahiti and the 

 Seychelles. The plant is a fleshy dark-green perennial climber, ad- 

 hering to trees by its aerial roots. In a vanilla plantation these 

 trees are called supports. The vine attains the thickness of a finger 

 and grows singly for a considerable height. When nipped or bent 

 over a number of shoots are thrown out, which bear flower-clusters, 

 each yielding ten ot more flowers. The flowers open about five weeks 

 after they burst through the buds. The pods grow to their full size 

 in five weeks, and mature in about seven months. 



Temperature. It may be stated in a general way that the vanilla 

 plant requires a mean temperature of 77° F. and abundant rains 

 during two-thirds or three-fourths of the year. The production is more 

 abundant and of better quality in countries having a distinct dry sea- 

 son. The humidity should be about 75° and the soil always moist. 

 The temperature must not be subject to sudden changes and should 

 not go too high and never below 49° F. 



(Soil. Any soil is suitable, provided the drainage is good. Light 

 soil and porous subsoil should be given the preference. The best 

 locations are valleys with slight slopes, where a moist atmosphere 

 and protection from strong wind may be obtained. Forest land or 

 land which 'has been covered with a dense growth of lantana should 

 be selected. The decaying leaves and later the decaying branches 

 and trunks will furnish the necessary humus. 



The Plantation. Clear the land by means of brush hooks and cane 

 knives and dig out guava roots. Cut down all large trees not wanted 

 for wind-breaks, and cut up the large branches. Trees having a diam- 

 eter of less than six inches are left standing. Next lay out the fields 

 and set out additional trees for wind-breaks. It must be well under- 

 stood that a vanilla plantation needs protection from strong wind. It 

 is not sufficient to protect from prevailing winds only, but the field 

 must be protected in all directions. Trees must not only be planted 

 around a large plantation, but lines of trees should be set at inter- 

 vals thrugh the fields. The lines for the supports may then be marked 

 by stakes. These lines should be 8 feet apart and the trees planted 

 at intervals of from 6 to 8 feet. Low growing trees which do not 

 shed their bark, should be selected for supports. The following are 



