92 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
sapwood of certain pine trees. Since then a number of 
processes for the manufacture of artificial vanillin on a 
commercial scale have been devised. In 1891 De Laire 
commenced to work a process for forming it from 
eugenol, the substance to which oil of cloves owes its 
characteristic odour. This process was carried on from 
1891 to 1896 without producing any material change 
in the price of natural vanilla, but in 1897 a period of 
competition set in between various continental firms, 
which resulted in the fall on the price of vanilla from 
£9 per lb. in 1890 to £1 : Is. per lb. in 1903. 
The vanillin being made from eugenol, the price of 
it depended on that of oil of cloves, from which the 
eugenol was obtained. But in 1891 a patent was taken 
out for making vanillin electrolytically from sugar. 
Vanilla, however, kept its price up to from 17s. to 
19s. 6d. per lb. till November 1904, in spite of the fact 
that an equivalent amount of artificial vanillin could 
be purchased for a thirtieth part of the cost of the 
natural product. This was perhaps due partly to the 
conservatism of the consumers of vanilla, and partly due 
to an idea that there were other aromatic substances in 
the pods which were not in the artificial substance.^ 
The French vanilla-growers have formed a “ Ligue 
a la defense de la vanille,” and have attempted to obtain 
the passing of legislation to compel users of artificial 
vanillin to mark it on their products, and to tax the 
import of it into France. 
Although artificial vanilla is so much cheaper and 
can be put on the market at so much lower a figure, 
the cultivation of the real thing is by no means one of 
the past. Good vanilla is in request, and will probably 
always remain so, and though the large profits formerly 
made in this cultivation will probably not be obtained 
again, still it is well worthy of attention by the tropical 
planter, and if carefully managed should bring a good 
substantial profit. 
^ Bulletin of the Imperial Institute, 1904 . 
