76 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
were growing almost in a wild state in a mango grove, 
and such as they were, they served all the more 
to show what little trouble there is attached to their 
cultivation.” In the gardens the vanilla was planted 
at the base of the trees in good leaf-mould, mixed with 
plenty of brick refuse as a drainage for the young plants. 
Once put down, they grew at their own sweet will, and 
soon attained vigorous growth. The plants showed 
their flower buds in March, and by the 10th of April were 
fertilised. The pods attained their full size in the 
beginning of November, and by December the nose of 
the pod turns yellow first, then brown. This is the 
time to gather the pods. The pods being few in 
number in this experiment were sun dried, wrapped in 
a woollen cloth, and developed a fine aroma, and soon 
assumed the dark chocolate colour which is recognised 
as very good. 
In the same Journal (p. 193) is quoted an Assam 
planter’s article published in Capital. The author 
says, “ where the vanilla plant will thrive well and set 
its pods there can be little doubt that it would pay, and 
pay handsomely, but it has always to be borne in mind 
that though the plant may grow and set its pods in 
many of our tea and coffee districts, it will not thrive 
in all such districts. It flourishes in a great many 
districts during the monsoon, where, if not killed out- 
right in the cold season, it is so weakened by the effects 
of the damp, foggy weather which obtains in many of 
our Assam tea districts that it takes all its time to 
recover itself during the following rains. It appears to 
thrive very well in South Sylhet, and flowers abundantly 
year after year in that district without showing any 
bad effects from the cold weather, but it ought to be 
pointed out that South Sylhet enjoys a much higher 
temperature during the cold season than the majority 
of the Upper Assam districts. The low temperature is 
not so antagonistic to this plant if not accompanied by 
a damp atmosphere. When the latter condition obtains 
the leaves get covered all over with black spots, the 
