FEBRtJABi' 1, 1884,] THE TROPICAL AGfllCULTURIST. 



589 



Ml'. Vinceut deems it absolutely necessai'y that -svooded 

 belts should be kept In certain positions, and it will 

 be necessai-y by the slow process of planting to make 

 up for the destruction which has been permitted in 

 many localities. That gentleman does not spare the 

 system under which the forests have been treated in 

 the past. He denounces as wasteful and extravagant in 

 the extreme, and reveals a laxity on the part of many 

 of those charged with then- management which is 

 scarcely creditable. In several of the Government 

 Kachcheri^s the accounts of timber sales and licences 

 have been so ill-kept that all Mr. Vincent's attempts 

 to obtain correct data proved unsuccessful. The selec- 

 tion of timber for felling has further been left to 

 subordinate and unpaid native headmen, with the 

 result of complicity between them and the liccncees, 

 leading to such over-supply and shipment that Jlessrs. 

 Churchill and Sim reported recently the London 

 market for satin wood " to be completely glutted 

 with wood for the past six months, and we now hold 

 a large stock, for which we cannot obtam £G per 

 t u— of 50 cubic feet— whereas twelve to fifteen months 

 ago we were selling at £20." Mr. Vincent remarks 

 as to this :-" Satin wood is, therefore, 25 per cent 

 cheaper in the Lonc.on docks than in the Ceylon 

 Government sale depots." 



The second portion of the paper under reference 

 deals with the measures necessary to establish a better 

 condition of affairs. Primarily stringent legislation 

 is insisted upon, which, while recognising well-estab- 

 lished existing rights, shall effectually stay robbery 

 and destruction in the future. Mr. Vincent would 

 not have all Crown forest treated alike. There should 

 be "reserves" and "particular reserves," certain 

 privileges being accorded to the public as regards th9 

 first which should not be available in the latter, in 

 which the systematic measures for the encouvaginj; 

 reproduction will be carried on. For the forester 

 holds that to attempt the fullest supervision over the 

 whole area of forest Ln Ceylon would be impracticable. 

 The attention of the oiScers of the department would 

 mainly be directed to these " particular reserves," their 

 upkiepand development; while the Government Agents 

 would be empowered by the new legislation proposed 

 to check waste, in the ordinary Crown reserves. We 

 have thus briefly dealt with the leading features of 

 Mr. Vincent's valuable report. The preservation of 

 forests in our colonies means economy in public works, 

 the development of which means progress. The sub- 

 ject treated of is, therefore — and quite independently 

 of its importance as affecting climate— one of great 

 interest to the large body of engineers scattered 

 throughout our widespread Colonial Empire ; and ta 

 them we should strongly recommend the careful study 

 of Mr. Vincent's most elaborate paper, which is ac- 

 companied by a map of Ceylon showing the dispos- 

 ition of the forest areas treated of in it. 



THE CARDAMOM HILLS OF TRAVANCOEE. 

 I spent several days with A. at Odumenshola, and 

 joined him in his various visits to the neighbouring 

 Tavalum and gardens, as well as on his rounds road 

 making, and I bad many opportunities of watching 

 the work of colleolion and curing the cardamome. 

 Our ride to a large Tavnlum was very interesting 

 as we passed througli miles of cardamom forest through 

 which bridle paths liad been cut. The Tavalum we 

 visited was some distance beyond the forest, and 

 \ia3 a busy scene, as a large amount of cardamoms 

 were being dried on the natural barbaouea of rock, 

 and women and children were busy stripping the 

 I'apsules off the scapes that had just been brought 

 in. From here we rode over a pretty undulating 

 grass country to Callapara where A. had a large per- 

 manent camp for warehousing the cardamoms from 

 the neij;hbouriug forests. * • « 



THE CULTIVATION OF CAEDAMOMS. 

 I fear I have digressed a great deal from the sub- 

 ject of cardamom?, and muat return to my notes. 

 From wlsat I could learn there are two varieties of 

 cardamom in the Travancore forests. One crop comes 

 to maturity about October, and the other in January. 

 The varieties appeared to be caused by difference of 

 rainfall and soil ; the former growing in a misty wet 

 climate, and poorer soil than the other, which grows 

 in a comp.iratively dry climate, and fine rich soil. 

 My small experience was confined to the latter variety. 

 Land having been selected, tlie Superintendent has 

 to be applied to for leave to open the garden. Nothing 

 is charged in the way of assessment till the garden 

 comes into bearing, when a rate of ten per cent, on 

 the crop is charged for land tax. Only certain for- 

 ests will grow cardamoms, and the i')resence of a few 

 wild plants is a safe indication of the suitability of 

 the soil. They will not grow in bamboo or reed jungle, 

 nor will they thrive under munga-murrum, mellaniur- 

 rum, or danimer trees. The best aspect is a northern one 

 and a steep incline is better avoiiled. The finest gardens, 

 I noticed were on easy undulating land, and in such situ- 

 ations I was informed .they lasted for years. Tha 

 opening and preliminary work is very simple. Oper- 

 ations begin in April by the cutting down of all 

 undergrowth to 6 or 8 inches in diameter ; and here 

 and there large trees of rapid growth are cut down. 

 No burning is done as in coffee clearings, and the 

 felled branches and undergrowth are allowed to rot. 

 In the following October the young cardamoms begin 

 to spi'out. Where they are too crowded, it is necess- 

 ary to thin them out and transplant them into the 

 open spaces, and where the plants have sparely 

 sprouted, it is also usual to sow the ground 

 with seed. The seed should be sown before 

 the monsoon. The growers prefer stocking their 

 gardens with spontaneously grown pl:.:.t3, which tbey 

 say last longer and come late, bearing earlier than 

 those grown from seed. For two years nothing fur- 

 ther is done. In the third the clearing should be 

 weeded, and the small sprinkling of crop gathered. 

 In the fourth year a thorough weeding ought to be 

 done, and the decayed stocks and leaves heaped up 

 between the clump of cardamoms. The garden is 

 now in full bearing, and will require regular attention. 

 The weeding should be done in November, and the 

 crop comes immediattly to maturity with the 

 letting in of light and air. Cardamoms re- 

 quire light showery weather in March and April, 

 when the flowering scapes are ready to blossom. In 

 rich soil the scapes will run out to 3 and 4 feet in 

 leugth, but shorter growtlis give better results in the 

 way of crop. The failure of showery weather immedi- 

 ately after the blossom will ruin the prospects of tho 

 crop, and though the scapes will sometimes throw out a 

 second blossom, the result is generally a poor one. 

 The fluctuations of crop are tl'.erefore great, and aa 

 hail storms often occur about the blossoming time, 

 the risk and uncertainty of crop is much increased. 

 Cardamoms begin to ripen in November, but it is 

 often late in January before the growers will pick the 

 crop, and a great deal is destroyed by snakes, rats 

 and vermin of every description. Judging from what 

 I saw in the garden, of capsule shells, probably one- 

 third is lost in this way. Chetties from the neigh- 

 bouriug villages in the Madura District, are the prin- 

 cipal growers and they usually began the cardamom 

 harvest when about half the remaining capsules on the 

 scapes are ripe. 



The scapes with the cardamoms on .are removed to 

 the small collecting stations, and cured by a process 

 of drying in the sun and exposure to the dew. The 

 morning after the collector the capsules are carefully 

 removed from the scapes, and dried on the rocks. Tho 

 fleshy bIicU soon loses its jjieeu or browu colour nnder 



