112 



[August, 1912. 



TOBACCO IN SIAM. 



Tobacco is grown most extensively in 

 the provinces of Petchaboon and Raj- 

 buri. The leaf produced in Petchaboon 

 town is regarded as superior to that 

 produced elsewhere. 



The tobacco is of two qualities, strong 

 and mild, the former being used both 

 for smoking and chewing. For cigar- 

 ettes wrappers of lotus, banana and 

 betel are employed. Mild tobacco is 

 used solely for chewing with betel and 

 arecanut. 



The chief market is Bankok whither 

 the tobacco is brought by boat : and 

 much of the leaf finds its way inland. 

 Occasionally Siamese tobacco is shipped 

 to Cochin, China, Hongkong, and Malaya: 

 but the bulk is consumed locally. 



The soils usually selected as suitable 

 for cultivation are bamboo forests, scrub 

 land and high grass land. The bast soil, 

 according to the American Consul, is a 

 loam — sandy, or black and yellow colour. 

 On such a eoil tobacco is said to be 



grown from 20 years consecutively with- 

 out fertilisers. 



Transplanting from the nursery takes 

 place from November to February ac- 

 cording to locality, the high lands being 

 planted first and the low last, since the 

 former get rid of their moisture sooner. 



Crops are harvested in March or April. 

 Two or three of the top leaves are re- 

 served for a special high-class tobacco. 

 For a uniform grade all the leaves are 

 shorn off at once : otherwise the picking 

 is done from below upwards. 



After being ribbed the leaves are 

 placed on top of each other, rolled 

 up and put away for two days, then 

 unrolled and packed one above the other 

 to a height of 6 feet. Round pieces of 

 wood are pressed on the top of the leaves 

 which are rolled into the shape of 

 cylinders : the wood rollers are then 

 taken out and the leaves dried in the 

 shade for about 3 days. They, are then 

 finely cut and dried in the sun for a day. 

 For a strong dark leaf the sun-drying is 

 extended to 3 days,— (Summarized from 

 Journal of the Royal Society of Arts.) 



EXHIBITS FROM THE ALL-CEYLON EXHIBITION, PRESENTED TO THE 



PERADENIYA MUSEUM, 

 By Mr. C. E. Tennakoon Ratemahatmeya. 



(A) Jungle Ropes made prom Fibre op the Following Plants :— 



1 



Creeper. 



Derris Scandens, Benth. 



Kala-wel, S. 



2 



do 



Combretum ovalifolium, Roxb. ... 



Kadura-ketiya wel, S 



3 



do 



Strychnos cinnamomifolia, Thw. . 



Eta-kirindiwel, S. 



4 



do 



Calamus Rotang, L- 



Wewel, S- 



5 



do 



Anamirta paniculata, Colebr. 



Titta-wel, S, 



6 



do 



Flagellaria indica, L. 



Goyi-wel, S. 



7 



do 



Toddalia Aculeata, Pers. 



Kudu-miris, S. 



8 



do 



Erycibe paniculata, Roxb. 



Etamyria, S. 



9 



do 



Dalbergia Pseudo-sissoo, Mig. 



Bambara-wel, S. 



10 



do 



Connarus monocarpus, L. 



Radaliya, S. 



11 



do 



Sarcostemma Brunonianum, W&A. 



Muwa-kiriya, S. 



12 



do 



Willughbeia zeylanica, Thw. 



Kiri-wel, S. 



13 



do 



Coscinium fenestra turn, Colebr. ... 



Weni-wel, S, 



14 



do 



Pothos scandens, L. 



Pota-wel, S. 



15 



do 



Ipomaea cymosa Roem. 



Madu-wel, S. 



16 



do 



Ancistrocladus vahlii, Am. 



Gona-weh S. 



17 



do 



Nepenthes distillatoria, L. 



Bandura-wel, S. 



