The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-08-01

side Dy side in following manner: In a
shallow trench, IL inches deep and 10
inches long, three knots Of cutting (pre-
viously deprived of leaves are laid and
covered up with brush and dead leaves;
the remainder of the cutting, two or three
feet long, is placed against the tree and
tied to it. The supporting trees should
be no nearer than twelve or fifteen feet
apart, to give sufficient room for the de-
velOpment OF the plant. After
month the cuttings have taken
root aRd!must be carefully kept free from
weeds or briers of all kinds. On the third
year vanilla thus planted begins TO bear
fruit improperly called beams and con-
tinue many years. When, on the other
hand, a field on fat land or river bottom
is selected, the Mexicans first pillow il up
thoroughly and on it raise crop of maize.
While this is growing, the field becomes,
il appears covered with quantity OF
young lactescent trees of the fig family,
which, after year, are large and strong
enough 10 support the vanilla vine Then
the setting of the plant is performed in
the manner before described, and from
these the finest product is obtained.
On the Island of Reunion the mode of
cuitivating vanilla is still different. In
Mexico, where the formulation of the
flower is left TO nature. the plant is al
lowed to climb up the trees, while in Re
union, where formulation is artifcially
performed, the plant is not allowed TO
grow out of human reach; cuttings are set
at the foot of trees, the trunks of which
are joined together by sticks of bamboo,
so as TO form a sort of lattice on which
the vanilla can grow and spread freely.
In no case are the trees ever cut down,
for the plant loves a moist ground, and
equally fears a burning sun. 1t is under
these large trees that the vanilla plant is
seen in its typical form, vigorous and very
productive. In the second case the planter
must first proceed to grow the supports
of his future plantation. For this purpose
! the preference is given TO the tree pro
ducing the physic nut, owing to its easy
| and rapid growth and its abundant lac
| teSceut juice well adapted to the nutri-
| tion of the vanilla plant. When the trees
have size sufficient to afford shade to
! the plant the cuttings are set out. The
rainy and the hot seasons are chosen for
! this operation, as the cuttings require
| frequent watering while they are taking
root, When the young shoots begin to
! grow and to send out adventitiOus and
| aerial roots they need only TO be directed
/ and spread on espaliers previously ar
| ranged to receive them. In addition to
! these means of shelter the plantation
must be surrounded with hedge of shrub
! berry for the sake of breaking the force of
| the winds. After two years a vanilla
! plantation in full bearing is the result.
! Experience has shown that a vanilla plan
! taJiOn should not be worked for over
| seven years, but in the mean time new
\ one is got in readiness so there may be no
| interruption.
The formulated flower dries on the
! ovary and in few days falls OFF leaving
| the fruit, which is called the umbilic
! The fruit-which contains within it's
! tough periCarp soft, black pulp, in
| which many minute seeds are imbedded
| continues growing until the end of the
] i he left "a
stem six months longer to ripen enough
! The vanilla harvest in Mexico takes place
! in December each bean-or, better called,
! fruiJ-must be gathered separately and
not the whole cluster. If too ripe the
pods are apt to split during the curing.
while if not ripe they lack fragrancy and
| proper color. The ripe fruit has, of it.
self, no odor; it is special fermentation
| which develops the pleasant fragranCy of
| vanilla. When the fruit is left to ripen
on the plant 1t splits in two unequal parts,
and becomes first yellow, then brown,
and finally black; while it is drying an
unctuouS liquid of a dark red color, called
balsam of vanilla, exudes, and when
quite dry the pod is brittle and almost de-
| void of all odor.
Various are the processes known for
| curing-there is the Guiana, Peruvian
| Mexican and Reunion. The Mexican pro
| cess is as follows: AS soon as gathered
| to protect them from both rain and sun
! shine, and few days later are submitted
to a sweating process This is carried out
! in two different ways according to the
state of the weather. If it happens to be
warm and clear, the beans, are early in
the morning, spread on a woollen blanket
! and exposed to the direct rays of the sun
about IL or / p. m. the blanket is folded
around the beans, and the bundle is left
| In the sun for the remainder of the day.
! In the evening all the pods are inclosed in
! tight boxes so that they may sweat the
| whole night. The next day the beans are
again exposed to the sun. They thus ac-
quire a dark color the shade being a
deeper brown in proportion to the success
| of the sweating operation. Should the
weather be cloudy the vanilla is made
| into bundles, and number of these
! packed together into small bale, which
| is first wrapped with woollen cloth then
| with banana leaves over it, and finally
! with a stout mating, which is bound
| firmly and sprnkled with water.
An oven is now heated to $40 degrees
! Fahrenheit, and the bales containing the
| larger beans are placed in It, When the
! temperature has been decreased to 1872
! Fahrenheit the smaller beans are intro
! duced, and the oven is closed tightly.
After twenty-four hours the smaller
beans are taken from the oven. and
| twelve hours later the larger ones. Dur
! ing the process the vanilla has sweated
| and acquired fine maroon color.
Now the drying, most delicate opera
ton, must be attended to with great care
! The beans are spread on mating and ex-
! posed to the sun during nearly two
| months. When the drying is nearly com
! plete it is finished in the shade in a very
! dry place.
| Such extremely delicate processes are
not for rude agriculturists to conduct sue
! cessfully. In Mexico are several wealthy
! curers who are also men of cultivation
and refinement. Among the number may
be mentioned GonZolez, Silvaro, Fuenta,
Moreno and Marca, and from these il
may be said the best vanillas are to be OBJ
tanned.
Murderers' Gallows Speeches.
From the Ct ouis Il Iobe- nernocrat