The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1903-08-29

better it is. The sweatboxes and dark
| colored blankets are set out in the sun,
| and must be warm when the vanilla
has reached the proper stage. This
! should be not later than p. m. The
blankets are used as lining and the
edges hang over the sides of the box
The heated pods are taken up by hand
fuls and laid in the boxes, stem end
inside, care being taken to put the
colored pods at the bottom. The green
ones are laid on over these. The box
must be filed as quickly as
possible, the overhanging blanket edges
are covered over the contents and
enough warm blankets added on top
to completely fill the box. When the
cover is securely fastened the box is
carried TO the drying house and left
until the next day. During this time
the vanilla turns dark brown and
sweats freely. The vanilla remains in
the box from . p. m. until 10 a. m. The
box is then opened, the vanilla exam
ined, spread on the platform and re-
packed as during the preceding day.
This is repeated until sufficiently
sweated. This may be accomplished in
days, but with unfavorable weather
it may require two weeks.
green after the first sweating should
be separated, spread out in the sun,
the colored parts covered with several
thicknesses of white cloth, so as to
expose only the green parts to the
sun. This is done to cure all parts of
the pods equally. Pods which have
split during the first sweating are
wrapped with thread and the split
part covered with white cloth when
exposed to the sun.
The sweating having been completed,
the vanilla is spread out on trays in
single layers. The following days the
trays with the vanilla are set out in
the sun for a few hours and otherwise
dried in the shade. The last drying
is done only in the shade. and the
tr"ys are covered with cheesecloth to
keep off the dust. Fully dried vanilla
is packed in tin boxes and covered
with CLOTH
The finished article has a we'll devel-
oped aroma, feels dry but pliable and
has a dark brown color. After remain
ing in the tin boxes for several weeks,
the vanilla is classified and put up in
bundles. These bundles are packed in
tin boxes. which are lined with oiled
paper of correct dimensions. One month
later these boxes are opened, careful
ly examined, damaged packages re-
moved. opened and cared for. good
packages of the same size substituted,
the boxes closed, soldered and LABEL
ed.
To provide against loss during rainy
weather. the sweating must be ac-
complished by artificial heat. Good re-
suits can be obtained by the use of a
bake oven or coffee-drying house. The
vanilla is put up in packages of GER
tain size and shape and wrapped in
woollen blankets and mats to prevent
overheating The drying can be COM
pleted in a heated drying house.
The sorting. curing. drying. classify
ing and packing must be done by an
experienced man. A we'll equipped
central curing establishment with an
experienced foreman would, therefore,
be very desirable from an economical
point of view.
Yield. This has never been properly /,
in Hawaii. The wild vanil- !
la plant of Mexico bears one. two and |,
rarely five pods. all of superior quail |
ty. Two cultivated and hand pollinat- |
ed plants at Moanalua, Oahu, produced |
300 pods in 1902. and $50 pods in 1903. |
about one-fourth being OF good size |
and quality This only indicates what |
may be accomplished by cultivation,
but is neither practicable nor advisa-
bic on a large plantation. Plants yield
ing a very heavy crop may become
exhausted. The roots. and sometimes
the stalk. rots away or the vines turn
yeIlowish green. the leaves become soft
and white. the tendrils dry and the
whole plant dies. A yield Of 10 pods
for ordinary and 20 or even p pods
FOR strong. healthy plants should
be a safe limit. On a basis Of 10 pods
per plant. plants to each support, and
$50 supports per acre. a yield OF 1860
pods would be secured. One thous-
and average good pods weigh 45
and dry TO half their volume
and about one-hfth their weight dur
ng the curing process: 1900 pods
weigh 5S5 pounds. and the finished ar
icle about 120 pounds At least one
half OF this should be Of superior quail
ty and sell for from IS to 50 per pound.
: O. b. Honolulu. The balance would
bring from S125 to 81 per pound. This
would give a return Of not less than
;435 per acre. This. however, can only
De accomplished when a fair portion Of
he finished article is Of superior quail
ty.
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