Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-10
TIE VANILLA BEAM
ITS CULTURE AND VALUE AS A
COMMERCIAL COMMODITY.

How the Beans Are Prepared for the
Market-A Picture That Is Not Par
ticularIy Charmips-Curins the Beans.
| Prices and Markets
Cortez Bozarris Pedetro, of Mexico. was at
hotel the other evening. To reporter ne
! said:
eff I did not intend to go back to Mexico
could tell you some things about the coun-
try that would open the eyes of the Ameri-
cans Hho think of going there to invest in
! mines or anything else, but it would not be
the best thing for my future happiness if
expect to dwell among them The few
wealthy Americans who go there for pleas
ure and to meet the president and drink his
health receive wrong impression OF the
feeling in Mexico toward Americans in gen
eral. It's all right to raise the glass and ex-
claim, Long live the PRESIDENT but I'll tell
you that there is no more freedom in Mex
leo, and no more regard for the will of the
majority, than there is III Russia. l had for
gotten myself, however, and will now speak
CT the vanilla bean, its culture and its value
as commercial commodity. This is the
costiIest bean on earth, and there are two
places IN Mexico where it fourisheS-Pa-
pantla, in the state Of Vera Cruz, and Mi
sautla; but the first place mentioned is the
most important, and l win speak of it to
illustrate.
This town, of about 10000 Inhabitants, is
IN the land OF the Toconaco Indians. who
speak their own dialect, rarely cut their hair
or shave their beard take a bath only once
year and are as INDECENT and improFident as
any people on earth The vanilla grows On
vining plant, which is found wild in the
forests round about Papantla, cinging to the
trees and bushes for support.
WHEN THE BEANS RIPEN.
1.-THE beans begin to ripen the latter part
of November or the first of December and
then the natives take their children and 60
out into the forests and gather beans until
they get ali they can carry. All kinds are
put into their old sacks together, and are
brought into the town of Papantla to market.
Here there are s. number of buyers, being
principally Spaniards or Americans, and the
competition in trade reminds one very much
Of street where second hand stores prevail.
and runners are out soliciting the trade of
the natives. The old women are generally in
the lead, half naked, perhaps, with bare
breasts, long, disheveled hair, and haggard
faces begrimed with sweat and dirt. Then
come the children, equally pitiable in appear
ance, and finally the old men bring up the
rear. Their long, stiff hair, matted and
dirty, sometimes standing out twelve or fif-
teen inches, while their boards, filthy and
long, lend finish to the picture that is most
revolving
'The beans are purchased by the middle
men at the rate Of $40 or $l2 per 1000, taken
as they arc put up by the natives One thou
sand good sized green vanilla beans Will
weigh sixty pounds; when cured, about ten
pounds. The first fine morning planks are
arranged and covered with quilts, on which
the beans are laid after being Invested of
their stems. The sweating process, as it is
called, then takes place, and has to be re-
peated seven times before all the water is out.
Then the beans are heated slightly and placed
on rows of shelves to dry and air, after which
the asserting process takes place, and they
are placed in packages containing fifty beans,
each variously graded. hree weeks would
be sufficient time for the ing if fine weather
could be had, but this is rarely the case and
it sometimes takes from four to five months
Last year the beans sold for $l4 hundred,
which was about a pound, but owing to a
heavy crop this year and the growing COM
petition in the business, We have to sell our
best beans at Sl2 a pound or hundred, and
the inferior at from 81 to So The principal
markets for vanilla beans are New York, st.
Louis and Chicago. They are bought chiefly
by wholesale druggists and fine confectioners,
and are becoming an important article of
Mexican commerce. Last year, in the vicinity
of Papantla alone, 60,O00, 900 were exported"
st. Louis Republican.