23 
have been entirely too heavy or entirely too light a production. It 
was thought that the nearest approximation to the proportional 
ability of the different plants for fruiting was indicated by the 
number of flower clusters produced. The plants in the vanillery 
were classified in three groups in which accordingly 2, 4, and 6 pods 
respectively per cluster were allowed to develop. Each group is 
designated by the corresponding numeral 2, 4, or 6. The groups 
were made up of plants in alternating rows to insure as uniform a 
distribution as possible. As in some instances the clusters failed 
to produce the requisite number of blossoms or the pods failed to 
set, the average number of pods produced per cluster was slightly 
below 2, 4, and 6 pods, respectively. The actual production of 
pods per plant was in the ratio of 2, 3.4, and 5.4 for the three groups. 
Had the number of plants in the test been greater the ratio of pods 
per plant would have more closely followed that of pods per cluster. 
^iy7r/p^i<^r AV/A7&&? o/^/ootzs /?&? /^x^j/vr 
Fig. 3.— Weight of pods as affected by number produced- 
In figure 3 the average number of pods and average weight per 
pod are shown graphically for the three groups. In the table follow- 
ing, the production of the individual plants is given. 
Yield and size of pods of 1917 crop of vanilla. 
GROUP 2. 
Plant No. 
Year of 
planting. 
Number 
of pods 
per plant 
Fresh 
weight of 
pods per 
plant. 
Average 
fresh 
weight 
per pod. 
15.. 
136. 
16.. 
137. 
107. 
45.. 
105. 
77.. 
78.. 
108. 
47.. 
135. 
46.. 
106. 
1915 
1913 
1912 
1913 
1913 
1912 
1913 
1912 
1912 
1913 
1914 
1913 
1914 
1912 
1913 
22 
40 
40 
49 
62 
65 
70 
74 
80 
84 
85 
89 
90 
109 
163 
Grams. 
413 
642 
710 
797 
971 
1,241 
1,112 
1,303 
1,397 
1,452 
1,552 
1,176 
1,457 
1,971 
2,704 
Grams. 
18.8 
16.1 
17.8 
16.2 
15.7 
19.1 
15.9 
17.6 
17.5 
17.3 
18.2 
13.2 
16.2 
18.1 
16.6 
Total.... 
Average. 
1,122 
74.8 
18, 898 
1,260 
16.8 
Set in 1912 but almost totally destroyed by falling tree in 1914, so considered as of latter year 
