x CARDAMOMS 355 



paler ; they are shipped from Madras and Pondicherry. 

 Aleppy are usually shorts, plump, beaked, and of a 

 peculiar greenish tint, shipped from Calicut. 



Ceylon cardamoms, as has been said, are derived 

 from a second type of plant. They are 1 to 2 in. long, 

 and y\ to ^j in. through, three -sided, often curved, 

 and always dark greyish brown. The seeds are larger 

 and more numerous, and somewhat different in taste 

 (Ferguson, I.e.}. Owen, however, says that perfect 

 Ceylon cardamoms are of a light straw colour. He 

 says that the distinction into shorts and short longs 

 has no value and may be ignored, the capsules only 

 being sorted according to colour. 



PACKING 



The capsules are packed in wooden cases holding 

 65 Ibs. each, and measuring 22^ in. by 15 in. by 12 in. 

 They should not be lined with lead or zinc, but with 

 light gunny cloth. In packing great care should be 

 taken that the capsules are quite dry. 



CULTIVATION AREAS 



Practically the whole of the cardamoms of commerce 

 are produced in India and Ceylon. The plant has been 

 introduced into most other tropical countries, but no 

 cultivation of any extent has resulted there. 



In India the exact amount of cardamoms produced 

 is difficult to arrive at, as much is consumed in the 

 country. Shipments, in 1872-1873, from Bombay 

 amounted to 184,800 Ibs., of which 118,160 Ibs. went to 

 England. 



In Ceylon the export is very large, as will be seen 

 from the tables below ; of this product more than half 

 is sent to India, the rest to Europe. 



In Ceylon cardamoms have been one of the most 

 important crops for many years. The output is given 

 by Owen and others for the last few years as follows : 



