Am.  Jour.  Pliarju. ) 
July,  1881.  j 
Commercial  Vanilla. 
34T 
The  handsomest  fruits  are  obtained  from  the  first  flowers,  but  the  best 
from  the  last  flowers  whicli  open  on  each  bunch. 
Harvesting. — Tlie  fecundated  flowers  decay  at  tlie  extremity  of  the 
ovary,  leaving  the  persistent  gynostem  attached  to  the  fruit,  which 
continues  to  grow  for  a  month,  but  must  be  left  on  the  stem  for  six 
months  longer  to  allow  it  to  ripen.  Each  pod  should  be  cut  off  sepa- 
rately as  it  matures.  The  only  certain  indication  of  maturity  is  the 
crackling  produced  on  pinching  the  pod  between  the  fingers ;  the 
apple-green  or  greenish -yellow  color  is  not  a  sufficient  sign.  If  unripe 
the  product  will  lack  fragrance,  color,  etc. ;  if  over-ripe,  it  is  apt  to 
become  split  in  curing. 
Curing  of  the  Fruit. — The  odor  of  vanilla  does  not  pre-exist  in  the 
ripe  fruit,  but  is  developed  by  a  process  of  fermentation.  If  allowed 
to  remain  on  the  plant,  the  pod  splits  into  two  unequal  parts,  becom- 
ing yellow,  brown,  and  finally  black.  While  it  is  drying  it  exudes  an 
nnctuous  liquid,  of  a  dark  red  color,  called  balsam  of  vanilla,  and 
when  quite  dry  becomes  brittle  and  devoid  of  perfume. 
The  curing  is  effected  in  Guiana  by  placing  the  pods  in  aslies  until 
they  begin  to  shrivel,  when  they  are  wiped,  rubbed  over  with  olive- 
oil  and,  their  lower  end  having  been  tied,  are  hung  in  the  open  air  to 
dry. 
In  Peru  the  pods  are  dipped  into  boiling  water,  tied  at  the  end  and 
hung  in  the  open  air  for  20  days  to  dry  ;  they  are  then  lightly  smeared 
over  with  oil  of  palma  christi,  and  a  few  days  later  are  tied  in. 
bundles. 
In  Mexico  the  pods  are  placed  in  heaps  under  a  shed,  protected 
from  sun  and  rain,  and  in  a  few  days,  when  they  begin  to  shrivel,  are 
submitted  to  the  sweating  process.  If  the  weather  happens  to  be  warm 
and  fine,  the  pods  are  spread  out  in  the  early  morning  on  a  woolen 
blanket,  and  exposed  to  the  direct  rays  of  the  sun,  but  about  mid-day 
are  wrapped  in  the  blanket.  In  the  evening  they  are  enclosed  in  air- 
tight boxes  for  sweating  during  the  night,  and  on  the  next  day  they 
are  again  exposed  to  the  sun,  the  dark  coffee  color  which  they  acquire 
being  deeper  in  proportion  to  the  success  of  the  sweating  operation. 
In  cloudy  weather  the  vanilla  is  made  into  bundles ;  a  number  of 
these  are  packed  together  into  a  small  bale,  which  is  first  wrapped  in 
a  woolen  cloth,  then  in  a  coating  of  banana  leaves,  and  the  whole., 
enclosed  in  a  mat,  is  firmly  bound  and  sprinkled  with  water.  The 
bales  containing  the  largest  beans  are  now  placed  in  an  oven  heated  to- 
