: | 1May, 1900.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 393 
} Yanilla and the chloride vessels are in their places, the door is closed and should 
| %tperfectly into the doorjamb. To be quite sure that the boxes are hermetically 
Wosed, all rivets in the box should be soldered beforehand. 
_ Every two or three days the vanilla is carefully examined, and pods showing 
| Roisture are taken out and put aside to be sunned and prepared by themselves 
| Ma special box where they are all collected. 
In from twenty-five to thirty days the vanilla will have reached the required 
| “gree of dryness. Practice will show the exact moment when they should be 
withdrawn, 
. Vanilla insufficiently dried will not keep, and breeds small worms; vanilla 
| SYer-dried keeps well, but it is not supple, it is called “ broken” (brisée) and. has 
88 commercial value. 
4. After leaving the box, the vanilla is placed for several days on small 
frames in a covered and well-ventilated place, then it is removed and shut up in 
| "1 boxes, each holding from 15 to 20 kilos. of vanilla. 
There it remains for several weeks, being examined every two or three days, 
| td any showing traces of mildew are carefully wiped. 
; When it is thought that the vanilla has reached perfection (rendue & point) 
| ind its perfume well developed, the cleaning of the vanilla is taken in hand in 
Order to remove the dust and the germs of mildew which may adhere to it. 
pila which is not subjected to this process is dull in colour and does not keep 
ell, 
_ Twenty-five to thirty litres of water at about 60 per cent. (140 degrees 
| Pahr.) are emptied into a perfectly clean receptacle and 15 to 20 kilos. of 
Yanilla are thrown into it and vigorously stirred up in the water by hand. 
The pods are withdrawn, lightly wiped and put to dry in the shade. In a 
feyy days, when the pods are dry, they are sorted and classed according to length 
nd quality, and made up in bundles. All these operations must be conducted 
With the greatest care. The bundles are placed in tin boxes with covers. Each 
0X contains only vanilla of the same length and quality, and holds from 4 to 5 
los. each. 
Vanilla should never be sent away immediately after dealing with it. It 
Must be watched for at least a month to be quite sure that it will keep good 
Uring a sea voyage. 
During the time it is being watched the boxes should be examined twice a 
Week, and every pod showing the least trace of moisture should be withdrawn. 
__ ‘The mildewed pods are worked up by various processes and sold as quite 
Mferior vanilla. 
SUGAR EXPERIMENT STATION, MACKAY. 
ly his report on the work being carried out at the above station, Mr. A. 
_ Xamsay says that in carrying out experiments care has been taken to haye all 
Dlants exactly alike, and to give similar treatment to each in every respect, the 
only difference being in the description of manures applied. The experiments 
Were originally started as preliminaries to determine in what direction further 
ind more complete experiments of the same nature should be made. The 
Yarious green manures growing on the station would be shortly analysed. Of 
© manuring experiments being carried out at Palmyra and the Six-Mile, Mr. 
Ramsay says that there were so many misses and failures of supplies that any 
Information obtained in this direction would but be misleading. One thing, 
however, has been clearly demonstrated at Palmyra—namely, that nitrogenous 
tortilisers give the best results there. The most interesting results will be 
Sbtained from a field of cane divided into blocks of eight beds of sixteen rows, 
ese being alternately manured and unmanured. When this cane is cut, full 
| Particulars of profit or loss on the operations will be given. 
