8l2 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. [June 1, 1904. 
proportion with vanillin in order to modify the 
flavour of the latter in the required direction. 
VANILLA POaSIBLY TO BE EEPLACED. 
The foregoing statement of the present condition 
of vanillin manufacture indicates clearly the possi- 
bility in the near future of the replacement of 
vanilla as a flavouring agent by vanillin. 
It is difficult to obtain reliable statistics of the 
production of vanilla since the cultivation of this 
product is so widely distributed in tropical countries, 
and the imports of it into the principal consuming 
countries are comparatively of so little value that 
they are rarely separately given. The United States 
Trade Returns for 1902, however, give a table of 
the imports of vanilla into that country for the 
decennial period ending in 1902, of which an abstract 
is given below :— 
IMPORTS OF VANILLA INTO THE UNITED STATES OF 
AMERICA. 
Year. 
Weight. 
Value. 
Average value 
per lb. 
Lbs. 
Dollars. 
Dollars. 
1894 
171,656 
727,853 
4-2 
1896 
335,763 
1,013,608 
4-2 
1899 
272,174 
1,23.5,412 
4-5 
1900 
255,966 
1,209,334 
4-7 
1901 
248,988 
875,229 
35 
1902 
361,739 
859,399 
2-3 
These figures show that, although there is at 
present no falling off in the demand for vanilla in 
the United States, there has been a great decline in 
value. 
The same state of things is shown by the results 
of the two auctions held in London in February 
and November of last year. At the former 2,800 
tins were sold, and at the latter 1,410 tins. These 
quantities are in excess of those of former years. 
The prices obtained in February ranged from ?2s. 6t?. 
per lb. for best qualities, to 14s. Gd. for somewhat 
short, ohocolate-coloured beans, and 7s. 6d. to lis. 
6d. for " foxy brown " beans. In November the best 
qualities realised only 17s. to 19s. 6d. per lb., short 
beans from 8s. 6d, to lis., and poor qualities 4s. to 7s. 
TOTAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION OF VANILLA. 
It is almost impossible to give accurately the total 
annual production of vanilla at the present time, 
but it may be estimated at about 350 tons, of which 
about 150 tons are produced in the British Colonies 
and Bourbon, 'and the remainder in iMexico. Such 
statistics as are available indicate that the total 
production has remained almost stationary during 
the last few years, the increased output from Sey- 
the lies and Mexico being compensated by smaller 
exports from Mauritius and Bourbon. This being 
the case it is evident that the depreciation in value 
of vanilla must be ascribed almost entirely to the 
competition of vanillin as a flavouring agent. In 
this connection it is desirable that it should be 
known that the so-called " artificial vanillin " is 
identical in every respect with the vanillin contained 
in vanilla, and to which the flavour of the plant is 
chiefly if not entirely due. 
"BLACK GRUB" OR "CUTWORM." 
The following useful information is isued as a 
pamphlet by the Ceylon Koyal Botanic Gardens : — 
Blade Grubs, — as they are called in Ceylon, or Cut- 
worms, — by which apt name they are recognized in 
America, are the caterpillars of several different 
kinds of night flying moths. The grub is itself 
nocturnal in its habits, During the daytime it buries 
itself in the soil, usually lying curled up about two 
inches below the surface. At night it sallies forth 
and works havoc amongst the tender plants in its 
oeighboarbood. It is particularly destinctive to seed- 
ling plants of all kinds, biting through the stems just 
above ground level, eating a short piece of the stalk 
and either leaving the remainder to wither on the 
ground or -dragging it into its burrow to consume at 
leisure during its diurnal retreat. The stem is eaten 
through as cleanly as if cut with a knife : whence the 
popular name of " Cutworm." 
IN TEA AND VEGETABLE GARDENS. 
■'Black Grub" is very generally present in tea 
nurseries and vegetable gardens throughout the 
Island. But it is in Nuwara Eliya— the headquarters 
of vegetable gardening— that the pest is particularly 
rampant and aggravating. Nightly toll is taken of 
young peas and cabbages, often 75 per cent, of the 
seedlings being laid low in a single night. It is said 
to be almost impossible to raise vegetables there with- 
out enclosing each individual plant in a tin cylinder 
until it has passed the susceptible stage. 
There are several distinct species of grubs having 
this same evil habit ; but the commonest and worst 
offenders are the larvas of Agrotis segetis, Schiff., and 
^grotispsilon, Rott. 
MECHANICAL MEANS OF PREVENTION 
\e the surest, but the most troublesome and expen- 
sive. These consist of placing small tin cylinders 
round each young plant until it has outgrown its 
liability to attack. A cheaper plan is to tie a roll of 
stout paper loosely round the stem of each plant before 
placing it in the soil. Tarred paper is more lasting, 
but ordinary newspaper is quite effective. 
PARIS GREEN AND POISONED BRAN. 
In America, where cutworms are very destructive, 
poisoned baits are employed. Small bunches of green 
clover are dipped in a solution of Paris-green and 
placed at intervals amongst the plaots to be protected. 
Each bait should be covereJ with a tile, to keep it 
fresh for a longer period. The baits are examined 
each morning, when many cutworms will be found 
sheltering beneath the clover; others will have crawled 
away or buried themselves, but if they have eaten the 
poison they will sicken and die within a few hours. 
Poisoned bran has also been found most effective 
Paris-green is well mixed with bran, in the proportion 
of 1 lb. to a bushel ; the bran is then moistened with 
water and small handfuls placed amongst the plants. 
It has been found that the cutworms often prefer the 
bran to the growing'plants. This plan is said to have 
successfully destroyed all the cutworms in a vineyard 
of 30 acres before any damage was done. 
Poisoned leaves of " Mullein " ("Verbascum) are said 
to be attractive in America, but the attractiveness will 
depend upon the species of cutworm concerned. Of 
green baits, clover will be the most generally useful. 
The digging in of " Buckwheat" {Polyconum, sp.) has 
been recommended as a deterrent. A marked patch, 
into which buckwheat had been ploughed, remained 
markedly free from cutworms, while the rest of the 
field was badly damaged, 
K.^INIT AND NITRATE OF SODA. 
A heavy top dressing of Kainit or other alkaline 
manures — such as nitrate of soda — is a recognized 
deterrent against all subterranean grubs. 
Smooth conical holes sunk in the beds have some- 
times been found successful as traps. The caterpil- 
lars, wandering about at night, fall into these pits and 
are unable to climb out, Thti pits may be formed 
with a smoothly pointed stake, pressed into the moist 
earth and rotated until the sides of the hole are firm 
and polished. Empty jam tins, sunk level with the 
soil, will form effective pitfalls. 
E. ERNEST GREEN. 
Peradeniyai 
