The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-03-02
VANILLA BEAN.
SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOST
VALUABLE FRUIT GROWN,
How alt is Cultivated In Mexico
Rapid Growth OF the Pods
Curing, Drying and Send
ing 10 Market.

necessity, and 1T would be very hard
to find substitute for it, CONNER
clal extract of vanilla is obtained from
tho vanilla bean, which is a native OF
Mexico, and Is probably the most val
liable fruit grown, the best quality OF
Mexican beans often being worth
nearly their weight in silver.
The vanilla plant is climbing vine.
with stem about rs thick ns an ordi-
nary lead pencil, covered with dark
green, spear shaped leaves. These
vines throw out small aerial roots
which attach themselves TO the bark
of a neighboring tree and appear to
obtain some nourishment from the san
OF the tree. In their wild state the
vines entirely cover the branches of n
tree, and running from it into adioin.
ing trees, form festoons and arbors so
thick MS to exclude the rays of the
sun and make progress through the
forest almost impossible. For great
many years no attempt whatever was
made to cultivate the plants, but ms
the supply decreased from year to
year and the demand increased some
steps had to be taken TO procure a
more adequate supply.
The vanilla vines blossom profuselv
during March and April. The flower
IS yellow and has. a very agreeable
sweet smell BY far the greater num-
Der of blossoms wither and fall of.
and the ones producing beans arc n
very small percentage of the total
number. The beans grow very RAPIDLY
Tor the first two months, and by the
first OF July have attained their full
size, and from that time on grow but
little, ii any. The beans, or pods, arc
from six to twelve inches long. and
alb NJ half inch in diameter, and when
ripe are about the color of banana,
and have very much the same appear
ance, except that they are a little less
IN diameter and somewhat longer.
Each vine yields about 100 beans, and
some vines have single branch that
lear twelve or fifteen pods.
From the first of July, when the
bean Is darkgreen color, it grows
but little in size, turning gradually
n yellow color, until the last of Decem-
Der or first OF January, whom il is fully
ripe and ready for gathering. The
pods are filled with minute black seeds
and small quantity of pulp, and
when prepared for market become re-
duced to about one-fourth their oripi.
nal thickness, are black in color, and
emit very sweet. agreeable perfume.
Although the beans do not become
thoroughly ripened until tho first of
january, there Is such n demand for
them that the growers begin TO gather
the crop in November. Beans gathered
before they are ripe cannot be rs
readily cured, and the growers do not
get so much for them. They are OBJ
liged to begin picking them before
they are ripe, however, as if they do
not somo one else would save the
owners the trouble of gathering them,
and they would thus be deprived of
the results of much hard labor and
care.
One of the greatest expenses the
growers are put to is ia properly
guarding their plantations, that their
crop, in whole OF in part, may not be
stolen by the natives II IS impossible
to make these people understand that
the beans are not growing wild, and
the property OF any one who is willing
TO gather them.
The curing OF the beans is n slow,
tedious process, and one requiring n
great amount OF care and attention.
For the most part the growers do not
cure their own beans, but sell them in
miscellaneous lots to curcrs, who EN-.
ploy experts for that purpose. The
total time consumed by the curing
process is about FIVE months. The
beans as soon rs gathered are spread
out In the sun on black blankets, and
allowed to remain until they are quite
hot to the touch. They are then
gathered up and placed in a sweating
box, which is simply wooden box
large enough to hold all the beans.
This box is well warmed in the sun.
and its whole interior is then lined
with blankets that have been out in
the Sun.
After the beans arc in the box the
ends Of the blankets are folded over
them, and other warmed blankets are
placed over and around the box. The
whole is then allowed TO remain for
thirty-aix hours, by which time the
ripest of the vanilla will begin TO turn
black, and the box viii have lost most
Of It's heat. The beans now have to be
spread out ia the sun again, after
which they are again sueated. and
this process continued four or five
times, until the bean are the proper
color.
As the ripe beans turn black the
quickest, after each sweating the
whole lot has to be gone over, and the
ones which are black enough picked
ou5 and placed by themselves. Great
care must be exercised In this process.
MS, VI they are very little oversweated,
it rs sufficient TO reduce the weight
about one pound per thousand beans.
which would be % great loss, and. rs
the bean loses part OF it's color when
overdried, there is further loss Of
about 81 per pound on account Of poor
color.
As soon ms the beans have been suai-
ciently sweated and are OF tas Or oper
color they are spread out on drying
racks, being carefully gone over nom
day TO day, and any that show signs
OF moisture or mold are taken utand
put in Tue an until tue mold dis