i INTRODUCTION 3 



permanent crops, lasting for a number of years. Such 

 are nutmegs, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, vanilla. 



2. Garden crops, which are done on a smaller scale, 

 are less permanent and often cultivated as a sub- 

 sidiary crop to other permanent crops. Such are ginger, 

 capsicums, pepper. 



3. Field crops, which are done on a large scale as a 

 temporary cropland often grown in rotation with other 

 field crops. Such are coriander and cumin. 



A certain number of commercial spices are hardly 

 cultivated at all, but are derived from wild trees or 

 plants, the demand for them not being greater at present 

 than the forest can supply. Such are Malay cassia-bark 

 and calamus root. Any of them may at any time, how- 

 ever, come into a greater demand, and it would then be 

 necessary to develop the cultivation. It is therefore 

 desirable to pay some attention to them, as it is not 

 always easy to predict their future. Thus calamus root 

 is grown all over the East, as well as in many other 

 parts of the world, in small quantities, as a native 

 medicine, and imported occasionally into European 

 markets. Recently, however, a planter in the Malay 

 states distilled the oil of it, and sent some of it with 

 other oils to Europe for examination. It proved to 

 be in great request by certain brewing firms as a 

 beer flavouring, and was highly valued. The demand 

 for this product was quite unknown to cultivators and 

 distillers in the East. 



The produce included under the name of spices 

 comprises all aromatic vegetable products which are 

 used in flavouring food and drinks, but almost all have 

 other uses as well, for which they are in great request 

 in commerce. Many are used in perfumery, or in soap- 

 making, such as vanilla, cloves, and pepper, others 

 in the manufacture of incense cinnamon. A good 

 number are utilised in medicine, either as a flavouring, 

 or for their special therapeutic values cardamoms, 

 ginger, nutmegs, etc. Turmeric is used in dyeing, 

 especially by natives ; clove oil in microscopy, and 



