S82 
THE TROPICAL AORICULTURIST. [Dec. 1, 1899. 
The search for useful varieties is still progressing. 
The director of the Botanical QardeMy iu iJiitish 
Gaiana is just making the experiment of planting 
all the varieties indigenous to the whole of Guiana 
on his trellises ( ? misprint for Gelangestretch of land) 
in order to determine which can be reoometided for 
planting and generally how to graduate their values. 
If there are still many questions to be solved 
Bbout the Vanilla family, we do at least know do- 
finitely that the earlier theory, th.it most of the 
Tanilla of Commerce comes from the I', aromatica 
is a mistake. V, planifoli'i should take its place. 
This kind furnishes the most valuable fruit, and 
is therefore brought into cultivation wherever Euro- 
peans are concerned in the Vanilla culture. V/hat 
part the other kinds play in the production of the 
article of commerce it is impossible to say, even 
approximately.* 
The V. pompona seems to be rather important, 
for their short, thick pods, easily recognised, are 
always on the market (though in small parcels), in- 
deed they have received the distinctive name, 
Vanillou. 
Its value ia considerably less than that of 1'. 
flanifolia fruit, frequently only one quarter. 
Apart from the useful varieties, the Vanilla family 
has only a purely botanical interest, for the blos- 
soms do not possess the wonderful colour which 
distinguishes most orchids and ensures their high 
rank in horticulture. 
General Sukvey of thcs PaoDucTioN. 
Vanilla was introduoed into Europe in the 16th 
Century from Mexico, which was the chief place of 
production at that time, as it is at the present 
day, 
The total crop of this state was given as 108,500 
half kiols, in the last published Statistics for 1880, 
One cannot take this as literally true, for the 
official machinery does not allow of an exact esti- 
mate being taken. The output of Vanilla is still 
very considerable and is not exceeded by that of 
any other country. The chief seat of the industry is in 
the State Vera Cruz, the next in Oaiaca. The village 
Zentilla in the latter State is said to pioduce the 
finest Mexican Vanilla. 
The Vanilla culture is also mroe or leas developed 
in the States of Tabasco, Yucatan, Chiapas, on the 
Isthmus of Tehuantepeo and in a few places on 
the West Coast as well as in the hiuter land of 
Acapilco and Mazatlan. 
As a rule. 5 kinds of Mexican Vanilla are 
recognised : — 
(1) Vanilla fina or priviii-a, the pods are at least 
24 c. m long. 
(2.) Chica prima is shorter and thinner. 
(3.) Zacate 
(4.) Itezacate and finally 
(5.) Dasura, mark degrees in size. 
The last named is not only the smallest, but is 
spotted, and often damaged. These varieties difl'er 
iiot only in size, but often in the contents of the 
"pbds. 
In Guatemala, the Vanilla ia not cultivated for 
purposes of commerce ; tlie Indians, however, col- 
lect the wild fruit in the forests of the North West 
Coast, and bring them on the market at the Capital 
(and as far South as Panama, J. II. II.) 
A few hundred pounds are exported from thence 
in some years, in others no pods are exported. In 
the rest of Central America nothing is known of the 
culture of Vanilla, or of collooting the wild fruit. 
fTlds is incorrect as I have seen it otherujise in Veracjua, 
J. IL JQ It is little better iu the West Indies, where 
deficient experiments in planting have been made, 
bat soon abandoned. Here and there a few hundred 
shrubs are cultivated, the out-put is used for home 
•Vanilla pompona produces a pod almost identical 
with that of the Vanilla rjrandfolia, a native of Tri- 
nidad and the mainland, and the species producing 
the kind known as West Indian Vauillons in the 
markets, (.1. li. U.) 
consumption. Guadeloupe alone exports small quanti- 
tie^j to France, tlie annual amount varying extra- 
ordinarily. The exports amount in one year to 150 
kilos, in the next to 1,500 kilos. In the year 1880 
it amounted to 2,65G kiolos. 
Although wild Vanilla gi-ows luxuriantly and abun- 
dantly in the forests of Venezuela and Guiana, its 
culture is completely neglected. Attempts have re- 
cently been made in Uritish Guiana to revive it. 
The Brazilian Vanilla does not enjoy a good re- 
putation ; this is a consequence of the nelegeot it 
preparing the crop. A considerable part of the fru t 
is collected from wild shrub?, and is couseqoently 
of little value. What I have previously said about 
this c iinitry's Cocoa applies accurately to its Vanilla. 
TUd Vanillon, alluded to above, comes for the most 
part from Brazil. It is almost all used in Prance. 
During the ''fifties," a series of bal harvests serious- 
ly damaged the sagar industry in Keuuioi!, and 
caused thj planters to turn to Cuflje and Vanilla 
cultivation, with such results that this island has be- 
come, after Mexico, the chief source of this apiece. 
Not only that, the methods of cultivation have been 
brought to the highe.'it degree of protection in Reunion 
and we must turn there to lei.rn how tlie iu.lnstfy has 
advanced. The exemplary French statistics afford na 
also a dependpjble insight into the advance and 
present position of Vanilla culture — an example which 
awaits imitators in thi? special branch. 
The Statistical Tables show that in 13G6, 223 
hectares were planted with Vanilla shrubs, furnishing 
a total crop of 15,491 kilos. In 1871, the area covered 
was 593 hectares, and the liarvest 25,547 kilos. In 
1874, area l,5lj3 hectares, and harvest 43, 95y kilos. At the 
beginningof the''eightie3, "the average harveatamount- 
ed to 5 000, kilos, and the area of cultivation about 1,800 
hectares. The latter cannot be sharply defined be- 
cause it is increaingly the custom on this island to 
plant the shrubs iu suitable places scattered over 
the ground. This is especially the case with the 
small landed proprietors v/ho are mainly attracted 
to this industry. That is readily comprehensible, for 
the cultivation of Vanilla is suited to the "small people ' 
owiua to the great v.ilue of the product, rendering 
the possible maintenance of a family of modest wants 
on a bit of land too small to. allow of Sugar 
or Coffee cultivation. A further advantage is, 
that is not requisite to employ machine power or 
labour beyond that of the family, if working on a 
small scale. The French have likewise introduced 
the cultivation to Tahite, but according to the latest 
intelligence, only 30 hectares were planted, of which 
2,000 kilos, of fruit formed the average crop. The 
example of Reunion was soon imitated by the neigh- 
bouring island of Mauritius, bat with less energy, for 
both before and since, sugar has been regarded as 
the staple article of the island. Scatistical estima- 
ions of the export are available, not of the production. 
Prom 1865 to 1873, the export amounted on an average 
to 5,000 English pounds (equal to 4, -500 half kilos.), 
from that time the export increased to an average 
of 12, 000 pounds per annum. MauriJas possesses a 
few other orchid species, the leaves of which may 
replace Vanilla for the perfumer. Anr/rcecum frarjrans, 
which when crushed emits an odour which powerfully 
reminds one of Vanilla — some profess to recognise an 
admixture of the odour of Touquin ('?) beans. The 
leaves of Paham orchids should bj mentioned, yielding 
an aro;natic tea which is so much valued that this 
plant has been introduced into St. Helena and Madeira 
and the leaves into France. The leaves of Orchidi 
fiisca emit a similar aroma. About 1810, the cul- 
tivation of Vanilla was introduced into Java, but it 
has only engaged attention in recent times. Plant- 
ing has been energetically taken in hand in Ceylon. 
It is still a question, however, whether the enthn> 
siasm will prove lasting, and whether this Ishrnd 
will form an importsnt source of Vanilla. Vanilla 
thrives well iu Madagascar, and is even cultivated on 
a small scalei The output is trifling, and, since the 
war with Prance, has completely ceased. The re- 
freshing action of Vanilla is due to an alkaloid named 
Vanillin, so closely allied to benzoic acid that it wa? 
