120 ODOEOGRAPHIA. 



cannot be definitely determined, though it may be affirmed that 

 the crop is chiefly raised in the portion of the mountainous tract 

 of the southern or south western extremity of the Peninsula. 

 The chief districts in the Madras Presidency under this crop have 

 been estimated as follows: — District of Madura, 1885-6, 1,200 

 acres ; 1886-7, 1,000 acres; and 1887-8, 1,800 acres. South Kanara, 

 1885-6, 1,000 acres ; 1886-7, 1,800 acres; and 1887-8, 1,400 acres. 

 Malabar, 1885-6, 1,500 acres: 1886-7,1,800 acres; and 1887-8, 

 2,000 acres. In Mysore, cardamoms are mainly grown in the 

 Kadur district, the area under the crop having, in the correspond- 

 ing years to the above been 1,600, 2,300 and 2,000 acres. In 

 Coorg, the crop rarely occupies much over 300 acres. Thus, in 

 Southern India, according to the published statistics, there were 

 5,590 acres in 1885-6 and 7,700 acres in 1887-8. 



As regards the Ceylon production, the export from Colombo and 

 Galle in 1888 was 287,724 lbs. ; in 1889, 361,224 lbs. ; in 1890, 

 387,940 lbs. ; the estimated total harvest of 1891 is estimated at 

 400,000 lbs. ; three-fourths of that amount being produced in the 

 Ptangala district. 



Oil of cardamom seeds is largely distilled in Germany, prin- 

 cipally, if not entirely, from Elettaria cardamormtm ; 



The yield from the Ceylon fruit being 2*5 to 6 per cent. 

 That from the Madras ,; 4-5 to 8 „ 



„ „ Malabar „ 4'2 



Siam „ 4-3 



The average sp. gr. of essential oil of Elettaria cardamom is 0*902 

 at 10^ ; 0-900 at 15^ and 0-897 at 20^ C. Fllickiger gives its 

 contitutional formula as C^q H^o 03,and remarks that the water 

 passing over during its distillation contains acetic acid. 



The seeds also contain 10 per cent of fixed oil. 



Korarima Cardamom which is the Cardamomum majus of 

 Valerius Cordus,* Matthiolus, Geoffroy,-|- Smith J and Geiger.§ 



Pereira's information, furnished by Eoyle, and by Johnston 

 indicate that this cardamom is supplied principally from Guraque 



* Hist. Plant., lib. vi. cap. xxviii. 

 t Mat. Med., ii. p. 366. 

 X Kees' Cy. Art., " Mellegetta. " 

 § Handb. d. Pharm. Bd. ii. 



