St. Landry democrat., 1888-03-31
THE VANILLA INDUSTRY
How the Beans Are Grown and Prepared
for Market.

How the Beans Are Grown and Prepared
for Market.
Cortez Bozarris Pedetro of Mexico
was at Hurst's Hotel recently. To a
reporter he said:
'IfI did not intend to 60 back to Mex
leo I could tell you some things about
the country that would open the eyes
of the Americans who think of going
there to invest in mines or any thing
else, but it would not be the best thing
for my future happiness if l expect to
dwell among them. The few wealthy
Americans who go there for pleasure
and to meet the President and drink
his health receive wrong impression
of the feeling in Mexico towards Amer
leans in general. It's all right to raise
the glass and exclaim: Long live the
PRESIDENT but I'll tell you that there
is no more freedom in Mexico, and no
more regard for the will of the majority
than there is in Russia. Ihad forgotten
myself, however, and will now speak
of the vanilla bean, its culture and its
value as a commercial commodity.
This is the costliest bean on earth,
and there are two places iu Mexico
where it fourishes-Papantla, in the
State of Vera Cruz, and Misantla; but
the first place mentioned is the most
important, and I will speak of it to
illustrate.
''This town of about 10000 inhabit-
ants 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 iudolent and improv-
ident as any people on earth.
The vanilla grows on vining plant,
which is found wild in the forests
round about Papantla, clinging to the
trees and bushes for support The
bean begins to ripen the latter part OF
November or the first of December, and
then the natives take their children
and 90 out into the forests and gather
beans until they get all they can carry.
All kinds are put into their sacks
together, and brought into the
town of Papantla to market.
Here there are number of
buyers, being principally Spaniards
or Americans, and the competition in
trade reminds one very much of a
street where secondhand stores prevail
and runners are out soliciting the trade
of the natives. The old women are
generally in the lead, half naked, per-
haps, with bare breasts, long disheveled
hair and haggard faces begrimed with
sweat and dirt. Then come the chill
dren equally pitiable in appearance,
and finally the old men bring up the
rear. Their long, stiff hair, matted
and dirty sometimes, stands out
twelve or fifteen inches, while their
boards, filthy and long, lend a finish to
the picture that is most revolving.
1.-THE beans are purchased by the
middle-men at the rate of $40 or $12
per 1000, taken as they are put up by
the natives. One thousand 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 di-
vested of their stems. The sweating
process as it is called, then takes place,
and has to be repeated seven times be-
fore 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.
Three weeks would be sufficient time
for the curing if fine weather could be
had, but this is rarely the case, and il
sometimes takes from four to i've
months. Last year the beans sold for
$14 a hundred, which was about a
pound, but owing to heavy crop this
year and the growing competition of
the business we have to sell our best
beans at $12 pound, or hundred, and
the inferior at from 81 to $40. 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 10000, 600
were exported. st. Louis Republican.