68 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
The yearly production varies between 3000 and 4000 
kilos, of which nearly all goes to London. 
Reunion. — The history of the introduction into this 
island has been previously mentioned. It was first 
brought in 1793, and again introduced on two later 
occasions. Its cultivation began to increase largely in 
1874, especially in the northern part of the island, 
which seemed to give the best results. 
At present there are 4000 hectares under cultiva- 
tion. The product takes the highest price in value of 
any in the world except that of Mexico, and with care 
might perhaps equal or eclipse that. 
The exportations are given as follows : — 
1879- 1880 . 
1880- 1881 . 
1881-1882 . 
1882- 1883 . 
1883- 1884 . 
1884- 1885 . 
1885- 1886 . 
1886- 1887 . 
1887- 1888 . 
44,689 kilos 
23,031 „ 
27,764 „ 
21,095 „ 
28,049 „ 
48,648 „ 
57,073 „ 
18,549 „ 
89,067 „ 
1888- 1889 . 
1889- 1890 . 
1890- 1891 . 
1891- 1892 . 
1892- 1893 . 
1893- 1894 . 
1894- 1895 . 
1895- 1896 . 
1896- 1897 . 
52,217 kilos 
48,049 „ 
85,847 „ 
90,722 „ 
94,282 „ 
82,943 „ 
82,000 „ 
60,000 „ 
65,000 „ 
In 1904-1905, 75,000 kilos were exported. As will 
be seen, this ranks only second to Mexico in bulk of 
export. 
Madagascar. — An account of the cultivation of 
vanilla at Nossibe, in Madagascar, is given by M. Paul 
des Grottes in the Journal J agriculture tropicale, 
which contains many suggestive notes and ideas. The 
vanilla of Nossibe was, he says, considered by M. Simon, 
the great vanilla merchant in Paris, to be in the near 
future of the same rank as that of Bourbon, which is 
considered the best next to that of Mexico, the finest in 
the world. The Nossibe cultivations were made under 
the shade of woods, the shade tree used being Alhizzia 
lehheJc. The support, Jatropha curcas, is a compara- 
tively small tree, but of fairly rapid growth, and occurs 
in most parts of the tropics. But some planters having 
remarked that the pods produced at the edge of the 
