Amjm1"?i8912arm-}  Some  Commercial  Vanillas.  293 
they  closely  resemble  the  Mexican  and  are  now  packed  in  bundles 
closely  simulating  that  variety.  In  color  they  are  of  a  dark  brown, 
almost  black.  The  odor  is  not  unpleasant  but  is  unlike  the  Mexi- 
can, being  more  like  that  of  Tonka.  The  difference  in  odor  becomes 
very  pronounced  on  steeping  a  piece  in  hot  water.  The  surface  is 
longitudinally  wrinkled,  the  striations  being  coarse  and  deep.  To 
the  touch  the  surface  is  smooth  and  waxy  and  soon  becomes  covered 
with  a  coating  of  acicular  crystals,  known  in  the  trade  as  "frost.  " 
It  is  not  as  firmly  fleshy  as-  the  Mexican.  The  vanillas  from  the 
Seychelles  and  Mauritius  are  commonly  sold  in  this  country  as 
inferior  Bourbon.  The  total  imports  of  the  three  varieties  in  1891 
amounted  to  about  10,000  pounds. 
Vanilla  from  the  Seychelles  and  Mauritius. — -These  varieties  are 
very  similar  in  character.  Samples  of  Seychelles  examined  were 
6  to  6]/2  inches  in  length,  not  much  flattened,  being  in  many 
instances  nearly  round  and  only  fa  to  ^  inch  in  width,  tapering 
for  about  one  to  one  and  a  half  inches  to  the  upper  end,  which  is 
generally  twisted.  The  longitudinal  ridges  are  broad  and  flattened. 
It  is  characterized  by  its  pale  color,  faint  odor  and  small  size. 
After  a  time  a  few  crystals  appear  on  the  surface,  which  is  smooth 
but  not  as  waxy  as  that  of  the  Reunion  vanilla.  These  crystals 
frequently  assume  a  flat  or  tabular  form. 
The  Mauritius  fruit  is  similar  to  the  Seychelles  in  color, 
shape  and  surface  characters,  but. is  generally  somewhat  smaller. 
South  American  Vanilla — Recently  the  quantity  of  South  Ameri- 
can vanilla  imported  has  been  quite  large.  In  1 891  it  amounted 
to  about  9,000  pounds.  The  principal  outlet  is  most  likely  as  an 
adulterant  of  the  Mexican  cut  beans,  as  in  this  form  it  becomes  a 
dangerous  adulterant.  In  the  entire  bean  the  difference  is  easily 
recognized.  It  is  from  6y2  to  7^  inches  in  length  and  quite  broad 
and  flattened,  being  usually  half  inch  or  more  wide,  slightly  tapering 
at  the  lower  end,  and  at  the  upper  quite  sharply  attenuated  an  inch  or 
so  from  the  point.  The  color  is  of  a  reddish  brown  and  the  odor  is 
rank,  resembling  somewhat  that  of  fermented  molasses  or  rum.  It 
is  very  pulpy  and  extremely  resinous.  The  surface  is  distinctly 
wrinkled  and  smooth,  being  intermediate  in  feel  between  the 
Bourbon  and  the  Mexican. 
The  pods  appear  to  be  collected  when  nearly  ripe  ;  frequently 
they  are  split,  and  seeds  are  seen  all  over  the  surface.    There  are 
