December i, 1882.] 



THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 



455 



Exception, all denied that it afTorded any cRsaia bark. 

 The one exception was an old woman, who was cul- 

 tivating a Held of Indian corn close to a fe%v small 

 trees of Cinnamoinum Burmamii, and who said that 

 its bark was sometimes, but rarely, used to adulter- 

 ate the true cassia bark," 



Thus did Mr. Ford solve the botanical problem and ob- 

 tain valuable information regarding the important cassia 

 industry in China. We do not quote the portions of 

 the report wliich describe the mode of propagating 

 the plant, as it does not essentially differ from the 

 process pursued in the case of cinnamon. Neither 

 can we find room for tlie detailed account of tlie 

 general botanical features of the West River district, 

 however interesting it is to scientific men. We may 



i notice, however, that in China the cassia or cinnamon 

 plant and pme trees [pinns unensis) are associated. 

 After writing the above, we referred to the article 

 "Cassia" in Simmonds' book and we find that, while 

 ' 76,464 piculs of 133^ lb. of cassia were exported from 

 I Canton in 1872, only 1,363,000 of all kinds of spice 

 f were imported from China into Britain in that year. 

 And probably most of the cassia imported was again 

 exported. Up to 1870 only about 40,000 lb. of cassia 

 per annum was consumed in Britain, cinnamon being 

 preferred. We should like to know If there has been 

 any change in public taste in the interval ? And 

 whether, on the Contment of Europe, Spain esjjecially, 

 Ceylon cinnamon is still used to flavour chocolate ? 

 For purposes of chewing by those who labour in 

 quicksilver mines (under the idea that it counteracts 

 the evil effects of mercury fumes), we should think 

 the more pungent cassia is likely to be preferred. 

 From Simmonds' book on Tropical Agricidture it 

 appears that even Messrs. Haubury and Fluckiger 

 shared the opinion which Mr. Ford has now dissip- 

 ated as to the very varied origin of cassia, but they 

 traced the bulk to species of cinnamomum prevailing 

 from India eastward. While China supplies the world 

 with the greater proportion of the inferior cinnamon 

 called cassia, it is said to be produced in the Khasya 

 hills in Eastern Bengal and exported from Calcutta. 

 We extract as follows : — 



" In this region there are three species of cinnamon, 

 growing at 1,00U to 4,0011 feet about the sea-level, and 

 all have bark with the flavour of cinnamon, more or 

 less pure ; they ure Cinnamomum obtusifoliitvi, Nees; 

 C paucijtorum,, Nees; and 0. Tamala, Nees. C. inem, 

 Eeinw. a very valuable species occurring in Continental 

 India, i 'eylon, Tavoy, Java, Sumatra, and other islands 

 of the Indian Archipelogo, and possibly, in the opinion 

 of Thwaites, a mere variety of C. Zeijlankum, but, ac- 

 cording to Meissner, well distinguished by its paler, 

 thiuTier leaves, its nervation and the character of its 

 aroma, would appear to yield the Cassia bark or wild 

 cinnamon of Southern India. C. Tumala, Fr. Nees et 

 Eberm, which, besides growing in Khasya, is found 

 in the contitiuous regions of SUhet, Sikkim, Nepal, 

 and Kumaon, and even reaches Australia, probably 

 affords some Cassia bark in Nortliern India. Large 

 quantities of a thick sort of cassia have at times been 

 imported from Singapore aud Batavia, much of which 

 ia produced iu .Sumatra. In the ab-^ence of any very 

 reliable iuformation as to its botanical sources we may 

 suggest as mother plants C, casfiia^ Bl. aud C. Bur. 

 manni, Bl. var. a. C'hinense both stated by Teijsman 

 and Biunendijk to be cultivated in Java. The latter 

 species growing also in the Phdippines, probably 

 affords I he cassia bark which is shipped from Manila 

 ( Pharmacoi^raphii. ) 



We can only repeat that during the period of Go- 

 vernment monopoly of cinnamon in Ceylon, the Dutch 

 managed to introduce the true cinnamon into Java, 

 tlie cultivation of which extended while tlie Ceylon spice 

 was Ijurdeued with duties so high at one time as 3s 6d 



per lb. Probably some of the product of the plants so 

 obtained and cultivated is now exported as cassia. The 

 United States, which take most of the Padaug coffeee, 

 get also some cassia liark thence. The position of 

 cassia in the commerce of China is important, seeing 

 that the exports of this article in 187.3 were valued 

 at 814,000.000, or fully 2i millions sterling. The 

 value, like that of cinnamon, has gone down in the 

 period since 1873. The export of cassia buds from 

 Cliina has fallen off, and we find it stated that 



In Southern India the more matured fruits of one of 

 the varieties of Cinnoviomum inern, Reinw. are col- 

 lected for use, but are very inferior to the Cliinese 

 cassia buds. 



The article on cassia in the new edition of the 

 Eiiryfhpailia Britaniiira is short, but it includes 

 some interesting information, amongst the rest the 

 fact that our fine Ceylon cinnamon is adulterated 

 with and often superseded by the coarse cassia. To 

 quote : — 



The bark is imported into England in bundles, 

 which are from 1 foot to 18 inches in length, and 

 weigh about 1 lb. The bundles consist of quills of 

 bark from half an inch to an iuch in diameter, 

 generally siugle, rarely double. The bark is much 

 thicker than that of true cinnamon ; the taste is more 

 puugent and the flavour less delicate, though somn. 

 what similar to thut of cinnamon. A large quantity 

 of thick, woody bark, of inferior quality, is now im- 

 ported under the name Cassia vera, or Wild Cassia. 

 The properties of cassia bark depend on the presence 

 of a volatile oil — the oil of cassia, which is imported 

 in a pretty pure state as an article of commerce from 

 Caulon. Cassia bark is in much more exiensive 

 demand on the Continent of Europe than in great 

 Britain, being preferred to cinnamon by Southern ua- 

 tions. Both oil and bark are useful in medicine : 

 but their chief use is for flavouriag liqueurs nnrl 

 chocolate, and in cooking generally. When ground 

 as a spice it is difficult to distinguish cassia from 

 cinnamon, and it is a common practice to substitute 

 the cheap common spice for the more valuable article. 

 The adulteration may be detected by the beliaviour 

 of a decoction in presence of iodine, which in the 

 case of cinnamon, produces little effect, but wiih 

 cassia strikes a deep blue colour. Cassia Buds, which 

 have a plt-asing cinnamon Havour, are the inwnatu?-p 

 fruiis of the trree or trees which yield Chinese cassia.' 

 Thfy are brought in considerable quantities fri m 

 Canton, and used as a spice and iu confectionei y. 

 Some confusion occasionally arises from the fact tf.it 

 Cassia is the generic name of an extensive genus nf 

 leguminous plants, which in addition to various o'l er 

 medicinal products, is the source of the senna lea', es 

 which form a most important article of materia medica. 

 Tlie cultivated cassia itself has thus a rival in tlie 

 bark of the wild trees, and the competition of both 

 added to over-production accounts for the depressed 

 position of the Ceylon cinnamon trade. 



In an article on cinnamon in the local ^xamner allu- 

 sion is made to the extension of the culture in recc ut 

 years under the influence of the high prices which 

 then prevailed. Near Negombo fertile fields were 

 converted into cinnamon gardens and the plant was 

 grown on coffee estates upcountry . Of " chips " the 

 record is : — 



Keeping in view the fact that the exports have been 

 swelled by chips — a comparatively new industry, un- 

 known 20 years ago wheu only quills were prepared on 

 estiites — lhe Agricultural Association has taken ste]i8 

 to aliolisli, or even to restrict, the preparation and 

 exportiuion of chips. When it is considered that 

 scr.ijui'^ chips costs about 3 cents per lb. and that iis 

 spiling price is about 7 or 8 cents, it will be seen that 

 the producer nets only about Scents. This on 400,000 



