Feb. 2, 1903.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 519 
VANILLA GROWING, AND CURING- 
[P' t the following Essay we are iiidebiecl to Mr. A 
Mcb'arlaiie, I'iauter of T.iliiti. The work btars Use 
luaika of practical experience, and as a record of Huch 
will doubtloES be welcome to many who «re titieinptiug 
to grow this plant in the West Indies. Mr. McFd.tlane 
reraalk^ that after many ynarg praotical wirk he 
" does not claim to know all ahou* tJie stihject.'' His 
modesty is commendable, but it wnl be patent to 
most cultivators by a perusal of hia Essay, that 
hi-i knowledge of the methods adopted in snooessful 
cuUivation, is well worthy of being put on record, 
for the benefit and instruciion of those who have been 
less favoured in opportunities of obtaining information, 
-Ed.] 
VANILLA. 
The Plant Vanilla is produced bv a terrestrial, climb- 
ing vine, belonging to the Orchid fMuiily, having the 
oddly-shaped flower of its family, and like many of its 
relatives lacks the power of relf-fertiiisation. This 
can be learned from any epcyclopoedia. Here I 
learned as a b ginn^ r that there v/as but one variety, 
and thit the reason why Tahiti Vanilla only brought 
about one quarter the price of the same article grown 
in Mexico, was in the difference in the soils, the soil 
of Tahiti containing some deleterious ingredient, 
whii h changed the odour. I never could understand 
this statement, as I knew that the best iSlexican 
Vauilla grows on volcanic soil, and Reunion, which 
produces a very superior q uality, only second to that 
of Mexico, is of volcanic formation as is also Tahiti. 
I havo since then learned thut we h ive three varieties, 
all of courfC imporied as Vanilla is not indigenous 
to any of these islands. '• La Vanilla '* mentions 
eight varieties, five of which are indigenous to Mi^xieo. 
The three varieties which we have, are Vanilla 
plawfolia V. sylvatica, and V. rompona. This last 
yiel'.is the Tahiti Vrinilla, known in Mexico as 
V nillon and in the English maiket as VaniUos, V. 
planifolia, heie yields a beau equal to that grown in 
B-UMion,but is not grown to any appreciable extent, 
and I only know of a IV w vines of V. sijhatica. Although 
all of these vm ieties were imported at ihe same time. 
V. pom Onn quickly recommended itself to the Kau.ika 
pltinter, wiih the result ih^t the others were discarded 
and what few plants of them were left were only to be 
found in some deserted plantation, while F. pompona 
was rapidly distributed over Tahiti and the adjacent 
islands. 
- Now, a few plantations of V. planifolia have been 
started, since we have learned its va ue. To describe 
the vines as i hey ippea''to me (rn entirely unscien- 
tific description), F. planifolia is very distinct, the 
stems me large, as lai ge as ihe little finger, and the 
leaves are short and broad. The vines does not grow 
as rapidly as do the other two. The bean is long, thiu 
and round, and the blossom end is at a sh^Tp angle 
to ihe bean The blossom end of V, poni)ioi,a is at 
right angles, or nearly so, to the bean, and there is a 
decided difference in odoor, (a decisive teat if beans of 
the two varieties shoul I happen to be mixed) V. 
eylvatifa and V. pompona and very similar in habit, 
with long narrow leaves, of rapid growth, slightly 
dissimilar in the flowers, but the difference is very 
maikcd in the f nit. V. pompona has short thick beans 
which can he left on the vine until they become brown 
while V. sill uat ica ha,si\ very lona bean which splits 
budlv and has to be githered early, in order to save 
it. In odour it more nearly approaches F planifolia. 
The stems of F. poin7>o;7(i are only about half as large 
as those of V. planifolia and the joints are longer. 
THE FLANTAXION, 
The Site. — Tt is in ihe selection of this that tho 
greatest caie has to be eserLised. From tho nature 0£ 
• To a valu'ible Utile work, published by the French 
Government in 'Tahiti (La Vanille, by Dr. A. Delieil), 
1 am indebted tor such statements as I have nnule ro- 
gardiug the culture, methods of caring, ©to, .pursued in 
otbss^ ooautriea than Tahiti, 
^6 
the viae it is at once seen tb-i t it will not thrive every- 
ivli. ri'. although to ioi.k ai ihi^ various plm^ationa in 
T hi'i one v,(0uld iniigiiie that the nitive grower 
thinks it will. K re it is planted upon every c nceiv- 
ablo sort nf soil f/oni t-wtmp to sand, an i with any 
tree, thrnb, post or rock, that mty be most convenient 
lor a support. Of course wiih such treatment it 
cannot be exiiected to yield a good return. I cUim 
that the s.eep little valleys with which these islands 
abound, are an ideal home for the vine, and have 
proved it {nt leatt to my own satisfac ion) on my own 
pUntation which is in one of th "se valleys, and although 
only ab ut half a mile fi out the sea and a couple of 
hundred feet above ir, my beans avei a.;e over an in'-h 
longer than those grown close to the beach or on flat 
imdrained soil. VanilU revels in moisture (but it 
uants no elugnant water about its roots) and the hill 
side plantation f<ive3 it tliat. He ivy dews, more or 
less moist re cnstantly descending from the hills 
above, almost obviate the necessity of rain, while the 
natural drainage k^eps the ground always sweet, uo 
m tter how i.eavy or how prolo ged a rain may be. 
Tile vine also del ghts to send it^ roots around and 
among rock-*, probably in search of nutriment and 
m oisture. 0^cour.■^e, the advocates of planting on low 
level ground have many aigu l ents in their fav ur 
such as ea.se of woiking, posyibilily or ra her c^^rtainty 
01 getting more pi nits ou equal sizc-d pieces of 
ground and probably of getting a L rger weight of 
beans. These aiid any other clams which 
may be advanced 1 contend are more than 
balanced by the fact that the Vinilla oq 
the hill sides is in, as nearly as poisible, its natural 
condition ; th it the vine looks stronger and hsn liuier, 
aud should ba in better coiidit'on to vvithstaud disease 
and finally, that the beans certainly are no longer, and 
that the largest beans command the bi st price. My 
advice is, eschew level ground, select a piece with a 
moderate slope for ease of woiking (as V-inilla does 
not care how steep the ground may be but She woik 
m m does) and let it be if possible in a valley not of 
too great extent. 
After the ground is located, it is necessary to pre- 
pare it for planting. There are two ways of starting a 
pi ■ ntn.tion. The first is to cut away such of the trees 
originally erowiny upon the Ian t as nv^y be necessary, 
saving such as may be reqni; ed for shs.de or to plant 
the vines upon filling in the paps with pists. Tne 
second is to chop everything cff the giound and to 
plfliUt posts (of such trees as will grow from cuttings) 
or youi.g tree plants at regnlsr intervals. The second 
plan gives the prettiest plantation and when once 
esttiblished requires less labour in keepine it in condi- 
tion, but takes longer in tb.e first place before it 
brings in any returns. Besides the oritiinal cost is 
more. Whatever plan is adopte;!. never resort to fire 
as an aid in the clearing. Chop all the trees and 
branches into small pieces and |e>iva them to rot OQ 
the ground as food for the Vanilla. 
As to what viriety of tree is the best to nse as & 
support, 1 bave tried a number, ancfhae found several 
that I like, and also some, recommended by others, 
whieh I do not like. 1 would advice trying the trees 
indigenous to the place where the plantation is to ba 
started as it is certain that some of ihe native trees 
would prove suitable. The best tree is one which will 
grow from cuttings." That is one the majority of 
pieces out from which will grow when planted — posts 
to be from three to eight iijches in diameter and 
seven or eight feet long. One which is a moderate 
grower, whi''h takes a good hold of the soil and which 
does not give too dense a shade. All these requiaiiies 
I have found in one of our native trees, the botanical 
name of whiih, unfortunately. I do not know. Tha 
following a e reoommendei^ in L i Vauille " : — •^ango, 
Jcacia Lchhch, Ptcrocarpus indicits, Arlocarpus intcjri- 
foUa Eriohotri/ajaponica. Laurus peis-ja, Bo)»l>ax main 
haricnm, Fici'S ehiSiica and indica, Jatropha Carcas 
Bracicna tesfclnta and Jatmpha Manihot. '• Ihe three 
salt are emploved in plantations exposed to tho sua 
and without sliade, grow rapidly ami fiuuish plenty 
