434 SCITAMINEJ^. 



Necla elam come last. The plants are larger, and the scapes 

 stand upright as already said. The capsules are long and less 

 aromatic than those of the other two kinds* . This variety is 

 found on the hills of South Travancore, where the rainfall is 

 heavy (150 — 200 inches) and where the sea breezes blow. The 

 elevation is between 1^000 and 3,000 ft. 



Although cardamoms are wild in the forests, they have been 

 cultivated in gardens from time immemorial, and from old records 

 it is seen that the oldest gardens which were in existence 

 when Lieut. Ward made his survey of the country in 1817 are 

 still the most productive. These gardens are found on the 

 eastern edge of the Travancore hill-plateaux, where the 

 Magam clam are produced, and this variety yields about f of 

 the total produce of the country. Some gardens are met 

 with in the Kanni elam district, but these are more modern, 

 and the yield is about ^ of the total crop each year. ''Long 

 cardamoms" are not grown in gardens; they are all collected 

 Mild from the forests. 



When a person intends to open a garden, and has obtained 

 permission to do so (for cardamoms are still a monopoly m 

 Travancore), he selects some heavy forest^ wdiere there are 

 already a few plants of cardamoms growing, carefully avoidm 

 those places where reeds grow, as indicating poor soil. The 

 common saying is that where the Anjili {Artocarjnts hirsuta) 

 and white cedar [Df/so^f/Ion malaharicum) grow^ there carda- 

 moms will thrive. 



The smaller trees and imdergrowth arc then cut down, only 

 the larger trees being left to form a close canopy overhead. 

 The garden is then kept clear of weeds by a cutting over and 

 weeding twice a year, and cardamom seeds are sprinkled about, 

 or the rhizomes are planted out when the plants have not come 

 nj) properly. In about 3 years the garden begins to bear, and 

 may continue to do so for upwards of a century if the light is 

 not allowed to enter too much. Should any of the larger trees 

 fall down and let the light in, the cardamom plants turn yellow 

 and give a heavy crop, but then die out until shade has been 

 again allowed to grow up. 





