The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1888-08-17

How anu WmGrT ~ asFOWe anu HOW ~
Prepared for Market.
The plant producing the vanilla beam
which. by the way. is the costliestbea
on earth. Is one OF the rarest q any
that furnish havors. odors or flowers;
for only very peculiar soil. climate and
cultivation have yet insured its high
est qualities for any considerable time.
Misautta a city OF Mexico. situated in
the center Of valley surrounded by
mountains some six thousand feet above
the level Of the sea. is supposed TO be
the original home Of vanilla II has
seen found in various parts Of Central
America. both north and south. but In
no place possessing qualities 50 rich
and rare as in the valley OF Misautta-
Ingenious. painstaking and scientific
Frenchmen have cultivated IL on the
island OF Mauritius. and were success
full in producing a fair imitation OF va
nilla which they termed the "bour-
bon~ bean for which they found
market in England and France. but
the crop Of each succeed
ing year deteriorated until II sold for
less than half the price Of the genuine
vanilla bean from its original home In
Mexico. where il has been from time
immemorial cultivated and prepared
for market by the native Mexican The
native Mexican plants 1t near the base
OF scrub oak TO which he fastens its
vine. II produces no fruit during the
first four seasons. After that It bears
fruit for eleven or twelve years The
| fruit or pod grows In large clusters
similar TO the banana Its blossoms
| are in clusters much like our lilac. but
| white in color: and in fragrance won
| derfully rich. exceeding that Of the
| tube rose. The pod at first j. large
and green like the banana but when
| ripe il soon shrinks until Il has a dry
and withered appearance. All ~
virtues and excelencies seem 10 be ab-
sorbcd in the bean. These receive
numerous manipulations from the ma
tive producer These patient. diligent
workers affirm the absolute necessity
OF d ninety days handling in order 70
ripen and retain the best qualities OF
the vanilla bean. They expose them
to the sun for certain length Of time
and then place layers OF them between
blankets until the alternate layer
OF blankets and fruit form large pile
and in this condition they undergo q
.sweating process" Thus several
times each day they are exposed al
ternately 70 the sun and the olanke'
covering until all moisture i remose-
They are thus handled until each bea.
attains the color OF very dark cigar
il Notwithstanding all this sweating
and drying process the bean must r.
kept in rooms or vaults where ihe
temperafure OF the air must be .
uniform As TO avoid all extremes q
: heat. cold. moisture or dryncss-
II The tonka beans, grown IN >ou'n
America. are often palmed of upon ne
unwary a. genuine vanilla The tonka
Is aromatic in odor and strong IN tas's
. II Is good TO perfume snuff ana y
: scent clothes to preserve them iron
!. the ravages Of the moth. but wretcne'
substitute for the vanilla bean. ~
: tonka il worth fifty 70 sixty cents
: pound. while vanilla commands read
\ sale at from twelve 70 fourteen dollars
4 Last year the vicinity Of Misau.'
= alone exported sixty million beans, 70
! greater portion Of which reached Ne'
: York. They are used BY drugeiS'
N and confcctioners. and are very ~
! portant article Of commerce.
. Mail and Express.