April «, 188?. J 
JOURNAL OF HORTICULTURE AND COTTAGE GARDENER. 
277 
exceed what is called half-shade (jlrvii-jmir'). A 
certain amount of sun is, however, essential to the 
proper ripening of the pods. Whatever the support or 
nature of the shade may be, it is important to bear in 
mind that the Vanilla plants should be kept within 
easy reach of the cultivator, and not allowed to climb 
high up amongst the branches. 
The ground around the support should be prejiared 
by deep trenching to the depth of a foot or 18 inches. 
The drainage of a bed should be perfect. The most 
favourable soil consists of fine rich loam, mixed with 
equal parts of sand and leaf mould. Rich animal 
manure, or manure of any kind, is not a desirable 
addition. To renovate the soil at the end of the 
season, add some well-tlecayed vegetable mould or 
humus mixed with sand. Raise the bed about fi 
inches above the surrounding surface, and support 
by means of stones or rockwork. Where obtainable, 
the cuttings should consist of portions of stems about 
2 or 3 feet long, but all the better if 4 or 5 feet Ion?. 
The leaves are first removed from the lower part, and 
three joints are laid under the soil and covered to a 
depth of 2 or 3 inches. The upper part of the stem 
is trained against the support in the position in 
which it is intended to grow. A single tree will 
carry several Vanilla plants, depending upon its size. 
The surface of the bed should be kept moist by being 
covered with leaves or “ mulching,” and, in very dry 
weather, it should be regularly watered. 
Thus started. Vanilla cuttings readily take root, 
and the stem will grow and flourish. Depending upon 
the size of the cuttings, the plants begin to flower in 
the second year after planting. They do not, however, 
flower freelv until the third and fourth years. 
Fertilisation of the Fl.owers .—The first duty of the 
cultivator when the plants are in flower is to attend to 
the duty of fertilisation which, in countries where the 
Vanilla is not a native, will require to be done arti¬ 
ficially The flower of the Vanilla, as in most Orchids, 
is a very highly differentiated organ, the parts of which 
can be best studied by a reference to the engraving 
given on this page. In the wild state, the pollen is 
carried to the stigma of the Vanilla flower by means 
of the agency of insects. Where these particular 
insects are absent, their work must be performed by 
the cultivator, or no Vanilla pods will be produced. 
It is recommended that the work of fertilisation 
should take place in the morning. It is advisable that 
all the flowers in a cluster be fertilised as they open ; 
but of those that are successfully fertilised, only a 
certain number, depending on the age and strength of 
the Vine, should be allowed to remain. If too many 
pKxls are retained at first, the Vine is apt to be weakened, 
and the quality of the produce lowered. 
The process of fertilisation will be better under¬ 
stood by a reference to the engraving given herewith. 
The only instrument necessary is a small piece of 
bamboo or sharpened stick the thickness of a lead 
pencil, about 4 or 5 inches long. 
When the flower is opened, it will be noticed that 
there are three outer and three inner floral parts, 
which are sometimes designated the sepals and petals 
respectively. One of the latter is so much altered 
and so distinct in form and colour, that it is usually 
spoken of as the lip. Inside, and immediately banging 
over the free part of the lip, is a process which is a 
continuation of the axis of the flower. This is called 
the column (see h, fig. 2). The end of the column 
enlarged, front view, is shown at fig. 4. At a, fig. 5, 
is represente I the anther, containing the pollen masses, 
and at h, the stigma or viscid surface, on which the 
pollen must be placed in order to ensure the act of ferti¬ 
lisation. At fig. (! is represented a section through the 
top of the column showing the position of the pollen 
masses a, and the stigma h. It will be noticed that 
the stigma is separated from the pollen masses by an 
upper lip projecting over the stigma. In the work of 
fertilisation it is necessary to lift up or tear away 
this lip, and transfer the po lien masses from the anther 
at a to the stigma at h, as shown in fig. 7. The 
mode of using the instrument is shown at figs. 2 and 3. 
The work of fertilisation, when once understood, 
may be carried on with great rapidity. An expert 
person will, it is said, fertilise as many as a thousand 
flowers in one forenoon. The simplest mode is to 
seize the flower with the left hand between the 
thumb and middle finger, and suj)port the column at 
the back with the forefinger. Then, with the 
sharpened instrument in the right hand, the hood at 
the top of the column is removed, so as to expose the 
anther and stigma. The upper lip of the stigma is 
I'lG. S3.—lERTIllSATlOK OF VAKILLA FLOWER (DELTEIL). 
EXl L.4.X ^TION OF RLATE.—FIO. 1 .—Portion cf stem of Vanilla plant, with leaf, aerial root, and cluster of 
flowers; a, front view of Vanilla flower; 6, side view; c,aerial root, with root hair.'. 
no 2 -Sinele flower of Vani'la, exhibiting the first stage in the process of artificial fertilisaiion. The 
operator, provided with a finely pointed piece of bamboo, divides the Up or lahellnm medially, so 
that the centrsl lobe is separated from ihe two side lobes. This exposes the column and o'g .us of 
iecunriaiioD. The instrument is repres-euted as placed against the column, ready to pre;S upwards 
the anther a, and bring tbe poilinia in contact with the stigma 0. 
FIG. 8.-Single flower of Vanilla, exhibiting the second stage in the prpeess of artifleial fertilisation; b shows 
position of column exposed by division of the lip [the middle lobe of lip is pulled forward and 
curled upon itself to show the position of the column; the side lobes of Up, separated as sho.t n 
in fig. 2 . are represented at back of the column]; a, the position of pollen masses, taken from tin 
anther and placed on the s igma. 
FIG. 4.-Enlarged front view of top of the column ; a, the anther. 
Fig. s.-Eularged side view of top of the column ; a, the anther; b, the stigma, or viscid surface on wli ch 
the pollen must be placed to ensure lertilisation. 
FlG. (l.-Enlarged section through top of the column; a, one of the pollen masses in tilu; b, the stigmatic 
cavity. 
FIC. r.—Enlarged section through top of the column ; a, the pollen masses, having been transferred from o, 
tie 0, are now represented in contact with the slie'natlc surface. [Although dlaeranimntiCMlly 
shown, these figures give a tolerab'y good idea of what is actually necessary in order to produce 
fertilisaiion in a Vanilla flower.] 
