( 45 ) 
It is estimated that about 600 lbs. of dried bark 
per acre per annum can be obtained on good cinchona 
plantations in Java. The average quantity of 
alkaloids in the dried bark is usually about 6 to 7 
per cent. 
Quinine is used only for medicinal purposes, prin- 
cipally in the treatment of malarial fever. 
So far this crop has only been grown experimentally 
in this country. 
VANILLA. 
( V anilla p lanifo lia ) . 
Vanilla is the product of a large climbing orchid, 
indigenous to Central America, but now distributed 
widely throughout the tropics. 
The' vanilla of commerce is obtained from the cured 
pods. 
The plant is propagated from cuttings, which are 
first struck in the nursery and later transplanted 
into the field. Owing to its climbing habit, it 
requires support in the form of a hardwood trellis 
or a shade tree of light foliage, such as the “ dadap ” 
(Erythrina spp.). 
Flowering should commence in the third year, the 
flowers requiring artificial pollination. The pods 
begin to ripen about 4 to 5 months after pollination, 
and should be gathered immediately they show signs 
of turning yellow. A vine should not be allowed to 
bear more than 25 to 30 pods. 
The drying and curing of the pods after gathering 
is an important operation. This consists in dipping 
them into boiling water for a few seconds, then 
