334 
GUATEMALA. 
flowers, which with the pure white clusters of a ground 
orchid are much used in church decoration. So little is 
popularly known of the vanilla ( V. planifolia ) that I may 
be pardoned for quoting from Mr. Morris the directions 
lately issued from his Botanical Department of Jamaica, 
which are entirely applicable to the plant in Guatemala. 
In the Chocon forests it grows abundantly and fruits 
naturally, the insect needed to fertilize the flowers being 
present; and the pods are of excellent quality. 
Vanilla . — “ This is a vigorous, soft-stemmed vine, the 
cured fruits of which are the valuable vanilla-beans of 
commerce. If cuttings are taken, their upper ends, or 
portion to appear above ground, may readily be deter¬ 
mined by examination of the base of the attached leaf, 
in the axil or upper face of which is a small growth-bud. 
Cut the stem with say three or four joints at one fourth 
of an inch below the basal node or joint, then place the 
base of each cutting shallowly in prepared soil against 
the bole or trunk of a rough-barked, low-branching tree, 
as, for instance, calabash, or on a low-trellised frame 
three or four feet high, the supports of which should 
be unbarked logwood, yoke, or calabash. 
“ If the insect which fertilizes the flowers of this 
orchid in its natural habitat is not present, in order 
to secure a crop of fruit it is necessary that the flowers 
should be artificially fertilized. This may be easily 
accomplished as follows. In the flower is a central 
white column, at the summit of which is a detachable 
cap or anther, which if touched on the lower front edge 
with a sharpened pencil or knife-blade will adhere to the 
implement. The pollen masses contained in the anther 
must then be made lightly to touch the sticky disk sit- 
