March i, 1889] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 619 
THE CANKER OP THE CINCHONA. 
In a communication to the Botanical Society of 
Hamburg, Dr. (>. Warburg describes the nature of 
the (3iscn.su known as cancer, which attacks the cin- 
choua plantations of Java. There are two kinds of 
cancer, one infesting the root, the other the stem. 
The former is found beneath the hark, immediately be- 
low tbo ground in the form of a white flocculeut 
fungus mycelium, from whence it extends to both stom 
and root, causing cracking of the hark. The fungus 
appears to bo a rhizomorph, very similar to that of 
Agavicus melleus. The cancer of the stem makeB its 
appearance higher up in the trunk and branches. It 
is caused by a parasitic fungus, propagated by mi ans 
(il -.pores, resembling that which causes the cancer of 
the hark. The diseased trees were also found to be 
attacked by Peziea H'illkonnaii. but it was not evident 
that this fungus was the cau>e of disease. 
The only efficacious remedy suggested by the author 
is to cut out the diseased parts ; also to choose 
those varieties which seem h ast liable to the disease. 
He states that Cinchona succirilbra shows itself in 
this respect a more desirable variety thau C. LeJyeriana. 
— Pharmaceutical Journal. 
THE FRENCH VANILLA. TRADE. 
Bordeaux, which is one of the principal centres 
ol the Vanilla trade, imports, it is stated, over 50,000 lb. 
annually. Most of the Vanilla imported comes from 
the French colony of Reunion, where the culture is 
of comparatively recent date. The annual exports 
from that island previous to 1845 amounted to only 
6 or 8 kilos per annum, while the total exports from 
the French colonies of Reunion, Mayotti, Tahiti, St. 
Marie, Madagascar, and Guadeloupe for 1880 were 
7a,2« kilos, and in l«s6, 180,671 kilos. By the local 
dealers Vanilla is classified into four qualities ; the 
pods of tbo first or primiera measure from 7 to 9 inches 
long; they possess tho chaiacteristic perfume in a 
greater degree than the other sorts. The Vanilla 
vine, it is stated, is at times covered with efflorescence 
of a silvery brilliance, producing a crystallisation 
similar to that fouud in the pod, and which in good 
«|n'i imens covers the outside of the pod. This is called 
V anilla vine, and- is in great demand in tho Bordeaux 
market. 
Two ditferont methods prevail for preparing the 
pods for market, which are described as follows: — 
The tirst consists of harvesting the capsules after 
they have lout their green tint. Woolleu sheets are 
spread upon the ground, and when thoroughly heated 
by the »uu the pods are spread upon the sheets 
and exposed to tho sun for a certain period ; they 
are then put into boxes, covered by a cloth and 
exposed to cho sun. Tho fruit should assume a 
coifeu colour in twelve or fifteen hours after this 
last exposure. If this colour is not obtained, the 
Vanilla is again submitted to tho heat of the sun. 
This process occupies about two months, at the ex- 
piratiou of which tho Vanilla is packed in tin boxes 
•uutaiuing about fifty pods each, and securely packed. 
Tho second process consists of tyitig togother about 
a thousand pods and plunging thorn into boiling- 
water to bleach them, attir which they are exposed 
to the sun for several hours and then coated with 
oil or wrupped in oiled cotton tn prevent tho pod 
from bursting. During tbo drying tho pod exudes i 
sticky liquid, tho How of which is promoted by gen- 
tle prrvMiro of tho pmls two or three times a day. 
In tho course of preparation for market the capsule 
loses about one quarter its original size. 
Regarding the trade in Vanilla in tho London 
market for tho week ending November 'A last, it is 
stated tlext the latest mail reports from Mauritius 
estimate that the outturn of tho coming crop in that 
islaud will be a small one, and will probably not 
exceed .1I,I«.M) II,. 
The present market prico in London for Vanilla i* 
very Rood, ranging from 8s. por pound for common, 
to -A*, for lino sort*.— Giii'<f«/i«»V Chronicle. 
FIGS IN THE OPEN AIR IN THE 
EAST OF ENGLAND. 
Some of the finest flavoured Pigs and the most 
fruitful Pig trees that I have ever met with in the 
open air have been in Last Anglia. The dry and 
frequently semi-arid climate, and probably also the 
saline constituents of tho atmosphere, seem to suit 
the Fig. In regard to the latter, it does Dot seem 
to bo generally known that tho Fig is one of tho 
limited number of trees that thrive well by the sea. 
Only last summer, cool a summer as it was, very 
good Pigs were ripened within touch of the sea-spray 
on the east coast, alike on standards, walls, and 
fences. 
Tho chief conditions of success in Fig culture in 
the open arc a dry base, firm soil, and natural treat- 
ment. Without a dry bottom success in the open air 
is almost impossible ; and this is the rock upon which 
not a few of those only or chiefly conversant with 
the culture of the Pig under glass, split. With abun- 
dance of heat at command, the Pig during its growing 
and fruiting stages may almost be treated as a semi- 
aquatic. Its rapid growth, and its spreading and 
copiously perspiring or elaborating leaves, enable it 
to utilise or dissipate enormous quantities of water ; 
but in the open air there is little or no firo — that is, 
heat or motive, or water-using power in the grate, so 
that as the atmosphere is full of moisture, the plant 
and its workshop or food warehouse gets water-logged. 
Nor is this all. Any excess of water still further 
lowers the temperature, chills the activity, and paralyses 
the fuuetions of life and growth. A dry base means 
a warm one, and for such a gross-growing plant as 
the Fig drought and heat are the two essential con- 
ditions of healthy growth and full fertility. The 
next essential is poor calcareous soil. Poverty is the 
first point, though chalk seems also important. But 
better, poor sand, hungry gravel, mere brickbats, 
mortar rubbish, or hard roadway, thau root-ruus of 
fat black vegi table mould ori„brown loam, enriched 
with further additions of stable-yard or other stimulat- 
ing manure. These may force Fig shoots lik" walking- 
sticks or fishing-rods, but not those firm short 
branches from 3 to 9 inches long, studded with from 
three to seven embryo figlets apiece. No ; such fruitful 
form can only be forced home on our Pigs in the open 
air in England under the coustaut threat of starva- 
tion. Like many another amongst us, the Fig in the 
open air has to lose to win ; it loses full meals of 
food, to be clothed with fertility; and the latter, 
nnder this starving reyimtn, may be trusted to re- 
produce itself. That is, however, if the Fig has its 
own way, or, in other words, is subjected to natural 
treatment. Tho genius has not arisen who could do 
justice in thrilling poetry or telling prose to the 
miseries of the Pig tree in the open air in our 
climate, and the tortures it has been subjected to 
in our frantic efforts to cram, cut, and coddle it 
into health and fertility. The first two are correlative, 
if not absolutely cause aud effect. The more freely they 
were crammed, the more savagely they were cut — 
and so on, and on for ever. And tho coddling also 
became the more inoperative, as tbo product of 
cramming and cutting was tenderness, such as 
could by no possibility face our cold without 
covering. Aud so these threefold processes repeated 
themselves with cast-iron {regularity, the only thing 
always lacking beiug edible or luscious Pigs. At 
last aridity of base and sterility of root-run were 
called in to arrest grossuessi of growth, and tho 
pruning-knives wero left to sleep in their cases. 
There was so little wood made that it seemed a 
folly to prune off any. Still the coddling and cover- 
ing went on, with the result of so weakening tho 
embryo fruit aud tho wood that the fruit too often 
dropped, and the wood got hardly hit by the latw 
spring Iroat, when the covering was at last removed. 
Finally tho coddling system was abandoned, aud now 
that the natural system of producing only sufficient 
wood for fruit-growing purposes, and feeing to it that 
such wood is sufficiently matured to bear our ordinary 
wiutcra with, impunity, havo t>eon adopted, luscious 
