^Vuris^rf""-}  Vanilla.  319 
cultivation  by  fastening  shoots  to  the  trees,  into  the  bark  of  which 
they  soon  strike  their  roots,  growing  luxuriantly,  bearing  fruit  when 
they  are  about  three  years  old,  and  continuing  to  do  so  for  about  forty 
years.  Under  natural  conditions  the  flowers  are  impregnated  by  insect 
agency,  but  artificial  fecundation  is  frequently  resorted  to, — indeed  it 
is  one  of  the  principal  points  of  consideration  in  M.  Delteil's  work. 
The  gathering  and  drying  of  the  pods  as  described  by  Pomet  differs, 
in  some  respects,  from  the  descriptions  of  modern  writers.  "  When  they 
are  ripe,"  he  says,  "  the  people  of  Mexico,  those  of  Guatemala  and 
St.  Domingo,  gather  them,  and  hang  them  up  by  one  end  in  the  shade 
to  dry  ;  and  when  they  are  dry  enough  to  keep,  they  rub  them  with 
oil  to  hinder  them  from  drying  too  much,  and  prevent  their  breaking, 
and  then  they  put  them  up  in  little  bags  of  fifty,  a  hundred,  or  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  to  bring  them  hither.  Nevertheless,  there  are  some  who 
value  their  gain  more  than  their  conscience,  who  let  them  hang  upon 
the  stalks  till  over  ripe,  and  receive  from  them  a  black  fragrant  balsam, 
that  flows  till  the  essential  part  of  the  vanilla  is  exhausted,  and  it  can 
run  no  more  ;  and  then  they  gather  the  pods,  and  pack  them  up  for 
sale  as  aforesaid."  The  plan  now  adopted  is  to  gather  the  pods  before 
they  are  quite  ripe  and  to  allow  them  to  ripen  by  alternately  wrapping 
them  in  cloths  and  exposing  them  open  to  a  moderate  degree  of  heat. 
This  process  is  said  to  preserve  or  develop  their  full  fragrance.  When 
ready  for  exportation  they  are  made  up  into  bundles  and  wrapped  in 
paper.  What  the  "  black  fragrant  balsam,"  of  which  Pomet  speaks, 
could  have  been  used  for,  we  have  no  record  ;  indeed,  referring  to  it 
in  another  part  of  his  article,  he  says,  "  As  to  the  balsam,  the  Span- 
iards keep  that,  for  we  have  none  of  it  brought  to  us."  His  advice, 
with  regard  to  the  choice  of  vanilla  holds  good  at  the  present  time. 
On  this  point  he  says,  "  Choose  such  as  are  well  fed,  thick,  long,  new, 
heavy,  not  wrinkled,  or  rubbed  with  balsam,  and  which  have  not  been 
kept  moist,  but  of  a  good  smell :  and  beware  of  those  that  are  small 
and  dry,  and  of  little  smell."  The  Mexicans  in  early  times  appear  to 
have  been  very  fond  of  the  vanilla  flavor  in  their  chocolate,  indeed, 
we  are  told  that  they  were  "  mighty  lovers  of  these  plants." 
With  regard  to  the  odorous  principle  of  vanilla  it  is  shown  in  the 
Pharmacographia,"  that  it  is  not  contained  in  the  fleshy  exterior  por- 
tion of  the  pod  but  in  the  interior  alone.  Its  use  is  chiefly  for  flavor- 
ing chocolate  and  confectionery.  It  fetches  a  high  price,  and  its  im- 
ports are  necessarily  small  when  compared  with  other  commodities. — 
Pharm.  your,  and  Trans. May  8,  1875. 
