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JOURNAL R. A. S. (CEYLON). [Vol. 111. 



and roll a piece of mat over the stalk and cut out a ring 

 from the spadix an inch from the stalk. Apply a quantity 

 of ashes of Areca leaves and akmala, which being well 

 mixed with the syrup of the kitul juice is rubbed 

 over the part of the blossom which had not spread out, and 

 allow to dry four days : on the other part of the flower 

 roll down the bark of the Nairn (GNIDIA ERIOCEPHALA) 

 and then cot off the end of the flower, four days after 

 which the juice begins to flow. 



A kitul flower lasts two months, sometimes three, A 

 flower yields four seers of toddy in twenty-four hours. It 

 is very important to select the flower at the proper time ; 

 if it be too young or too old, no juice will be obtained. 

 The best time for cutting is when it forms a curve and 

 bulges out like a plantain flower. 



I have since heard that a similar process is had recourse 

 to in the Colombo District. 



Condiments. 



Nearly all the condiments that I have enumerated above 

 are produced in Udakinde • in former times they were 

 cultivated by Malabars who were employed by the King 

 of Kandy, and received from him grants of land for that 



purpose, 



Gums. 



Among these the Gum Una may be briefly noticed. In 

 1853, I first pointed out that the tree yielded the gum 

 kina of Commerce. I drew public attention to the subject 

 in a letter published in the Ceylon Times in April of 

 the same year. It is true that the tree is mentioned in 

 " Moon's Catalogue," page 52, but he seems not to have 

 been aware of its useful properties. 



I submitted specimens of the gum to the Chamber of 

 Commerce, and they reported that it was of "good quality." 

 It i£ sold in the London market at from 206-. to £7$. per cwt, 



