8 
February. Tlie number of female flowers per bunch, does not 
vary on the same tree, but during the months of minimum crop 
there are much less inflorescences produced by the tree, not¬ 
withstanding the weather conditions, and many of these con¬ 
tain no female flower at all. It is from trees producing the 
greatest number of female flowers per bunch and per annum 
that seednuts should be selected. Admitting that the number 
of ripe nuts per tree is a sufficient guide for selection, there is 
however another factor, i. e., the fall of immature nuts which 
has to be taken into consideration and which seems also to be 
of a character proper to some kinds. Many trees which drop 
their nuts before maturity seem to recover from this defect 
during the months of maximum production and should not be 
necessarily discarded in the work of selection. From a few 
observations made when the trees are young and in their third 
year of blossoming, the natural tendency of the trees can be 
well determined and there is no need to wait till they are old 
and produce their full crop of ripe nuts, to carry on the work of 
selection. For trees which flower after their 7th year of growth 
the question of gaining time in the work of selection is to be 
.seriously considered. 
THE YANILLA INDUSTRY. 
The quantity of vanilla exported in 1914 amounted to 10 
tons. This is the 7th crop in succession which is much below 
the average. The last good crop was obtained as far back as 
1907 (about 70 tons). This is a heavy blow to the vanilla 
planters of the Colony especially the small moitie system 
planters who have given up planting vanilla in many localities 
and replaced it by the culture of banana which is les3 profit¬ 
able hut which gives more regular crops. The owners of large 
estates on the contrary have taken up vanilla cultivation on a 
larger scale since the advent in 1911 of the wet seasous and 
nearly made good all their previous plantations which had 
been destroyed by 7 years of drought. I estimate the number 
of vanilla vines set out since 1911 at about 500,000 and many 
of these plantations look so promising that a very large crop 
is anticipated at an early date. 
In 1914 the weather had been rainy and very favourable 
for the growth of vanilla until June hut the month of July 
was too wet (16 rainy days having been recorded) and the 
rainfall was again very high in September. August was the 
only month during which a small rainfall favoured the flowering 
but the spell of dry weather was too short and the rainfall 
preceding and succeeding it was too heavy to allow the vines 
to flower under normal conditions. This remark shows how 
difficult it is for vanilla to flower in wet countries like 
Seychelles and on what a small factor the vanilla crop depends. 
There is no doubt that localities where the dry weather lasts 
longer, are more favourable to the flowering of the orchid. 
But in rainy countries vegetation is decidedly more vigorous 
and a very large high crop is obtained under favourable condi¬ 
tions. Vanilla suffers especially when no rain takes place for 
over 5 months. 
The following series of experimental plots on the manuring 
of vanilla were set out during the year :— 
1. Control plot. 
Mulching with leguminous weeds and twigs. 
Mulching with ordinary grass. 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus lime. 
Mulching with ordinary grass id us Phosphate 
(Seychelles rock guano). 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus complete fer¬ 
tilizer (Biogine Truffaut). 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus complete soluble 
fertilizer (Truffaut). 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus Potash in the 
form of Potassium Sulphate. 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus Potash in the 
form of Potassium Chloride. 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus nitrogen in the 
form of Ammonium Nitrate. 
Mulching with ordinary grass plus nitrogen in the 
form of Nitrate of Soda. 
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