The rainfall is generally about 100 inches--that is in Port Victoria, which lies low; in the hills the precipitation is probably from 10 to 30 per cent greater; and in drier districts, away from high lands, where little timber is left, it must be considerably less. The fall is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year, but a dry spell, which is necessary to bring vanilla into flower, is to be looked for in July, August, or September, while the heaviest rains most frequently come in December. Even where rain has not fallen for some time the air is very moist, and for want of more exact information on this head it may be stated that, generally speaking, in the hills common table salt will deliquesce in a day or two if left uncovered. The range of shade temperature for day and night, from sea level to 1,800 feet, may be put at 90° to 70° F. The former is exceptional, the latter frequent, especially in early morning when the monsoon is blowing. Occasionally 68° may be registered, but seldom lower. Of soils, three very different sorts may be mentioned, in all of which vanilla does well here: (1) Rich vegetable mold, common enough in forest land as a thin surface skin, and also occurring deeper in valley bottoms. For a quick growth this is excellent. (2) A greasy red clay, also in fair quantity, on which vanilla makes good growth. (3) Coarse quartz sand, or gravel, apparently derived from disintegrated granite, not common, but met with in considerable patches here and there. Though so unpromising to look at, this is, perhaps, the best of all. It gives free drainage to the roots, and in wet years plants fixed on it are more likely to crop than those on closer soils, while with ample manuring they grow remarkably well.