VII 



CASSIA BARK 235 



Imports for 1884-1885 



Cwt. Value in Rupees. 



To Bombay . . . 13,308 2,01,944 



To Bengal . .' . 2,226 41,460 



To Madras . " V ; { . 235 4,940 



14,769 2,48,244 



Of this China sent 13,557 cwt., valued at 2,24,805 

 rupees, and the Straits Settlements 1,212 cwt., valued at 

 23,536 rupees (this latter was probably Malayan cassia). 



The bark, re-exported, went to Persia, 2,785 cwt. ; 

 Arabia, 980 cwt. ; and Turkey in Asia, 715 cwt. Thus 

 at least the greater part of the cassia bark in commerce 

 is derived from the Chinese Cinnamomum cassia. 



In French Indo-China some interest has been taken 

 in this bark by the French colonists. M. Eberhardt 

 and Professor Perrot published recently an article on 

 " Les Canneliers d'Indo- Chine," in the Bulletin des 

 sciences pharmacologiques, in Paris. They come to 

 the conclusion that there is only one type of cassia bark 

 tree, and that is Cinnamomum obtusifolium, Nees, the 

 cassia bark of Cochin-China (C. Loureiri, Nees) and 

 the Chinese cassia (C. Cassia, Bl.) being only varieties 

 of the Annamese (C. obtusifolium). 



There is one fairly extensive plantation of the tree 

 in Quang N'gai (Annam) of 1,000 trees, a few plants 

 in the Tea Gardens of M. Lombard, near Tourane, and 

 some native cultivations in Bink-Na. 



The different sorts of Annam cassia are valued by 

 the Chinese buyers according to appearance and source. 

 The most highly valued is the " Cannelle Eoyale " of 

 Thank Hoa, which is valued at more than its weight in 

 gold. 



It is obtained exclusively from wild trees. The 

 writers estimate that a tree, 15 to 16 metres tall, giving 

 this class of cassia, brings 1,200 to 1,500 francs to the 

 owner. Mr. Crevost (Bull. econ. Indo-Chine, No. 77, 

 1909, p. 150) states that the average price of the bark 

 of Thank Hoa cassia ranges from 202 to 337 francs a 



