Edible Products. 



224 



[September, 1909, 



of oriental countries spices are to this 

 day used as an emblem of happiness, 

 It is recorded, I believe, that spices 

 were used in the funeral piles of the 

 Egyptian Kings, and that the extravagant 

 Nero burnt at the obsequies of his wife "a 

 quantity of cinnamon and cassia exceeding 

 in amount the whole importation into Rome 

 for one year." Finally, not the least virtue 

 of certain spices is their effect in sweetening 

 the breath of persons who are addicted to 

 masticating habits, popularly known locally 

 as betel-chewing. For this purpose car- 

 damoms especially are esteemed in India and 

 Ceylon, star-anise in China, while the 

 disguising effect of cloves is well-known to 

 genteel topers of other climes. Certain 

 authorities consider that the presence of 

 spices has a beneficial effect on climate, their 

 volatile oils acting as a preventive against 

 mosquitoes and other germ-carrying insects. 



The following are the principal spices of 

 the tropics in alphabetical order. These do 

 not include the spices of temperate or warm- 

 temperate countries, such as earraway, 

 cumin, &c. 



Description, Cultivation and Uses 

 op Spices. 



S. = Sinhalese. T;= Tamil. N. 0.=Natural 

 Order. 



Allspice; Pimento: "Jamaica Pepper" 

 (Pimento officinalis, N. O. Myrtacea?).- A 

 small, smooth and white-barked tree, 25 or 30 

 feet high, native of the West Indies and Cen- 

 tral America. The dried unripe berries, which 

 are of the size of small peas, are the Allspice 

 or Pimento of commerce. The name " all- 

 spice" is due to a supposed resemblance of 

 the spice to a combination of the odour and 

 flavour of cinnamon, nutmegs and cloves. 

 The tree has been introduced into Ceylon 

 over a century ago and establihsed at Pera- 

 deniya, where it flowers in the dry weather, 

 and occasionally sets a few fruits, but out- 

 side the Botanic Gardens it is rarely met 

 with in this country. It is considered to 

 yield best in a hot and rather dry climate, 

 and prefers a loose loamy or alluvial, well- 

 drained soil. In Jamaica the berries are 

 picked by hand while green, but just ripe, 

 and then dried in the sun, the latter process 

 taking 6 to 10 days. The fruits are known 

 to be sufficiently dry when the seeds rattle 

 on shaking, and are of a dark colour. A 

 crop cannot be expected within six or seven 

 years, and when in full bearing a tree will 

 yield a hundredweight of the dried spice. 

 Jamaica is the only country that exports 

 this spice. Allspice is sold at present in 

 England at about 2d. to 3rZ. per lb. 



Pimento oil, which is obtained by distil- 

 lation from Allspice leaves, is imported into 

 London and stld for 2*. 9d. to 3s. del. per lb. 



Allspice, lemon-scented (Pimentacitvifolia, 

 N. O. Myrtaceae.) — This distinct spice-tree 



was introduced from Dominica to Peradeniya 

 in 1888, and has become perfectly estab- 

 lished here, being now about 30 feet high, 

 of an erect slender habit ; but it has not yet 

 fruited. The leaves upon being bruised 

 have a delightful lemon-scented odour. 



Allspice, Carolina (Calycanthus floridus, 

 N. O. Calycanthaceae). — A hardy shrub of 

 North America, the wood and roots of which 

 are of a spicy nature, and smell strongly 

 of camphor. 



Allspice, Japan (Chimonanthus fragrans, 

 N. O. Calycanthaceae).- A shrub with small 

 pale yellow flowers. Suited for high eleva- 

 tions only. 



Bay-rum Tree, or " Wild Cloves" {Pimcnta 

 acris, N. O. Myrtaceas). — A small AVest 

 Indian tree, the aromatic leaves of which 

 yield by distillation an oil which is used in 

 the preparation of Bay-rum. The tree has 

 been established at Peradeniya, and may be 

 seen in the spice collection there. The dried 

 leaves are exported from Dominica and other 

 West Indian Islands to America, &c. 



Cardamoms ; "Enasal," S. (Elettaria Carda- 

 momum, N. O. Scitaminese). — A perennial 

 with large leafy shoots, 8 to 15 feet long, and 

 strong creeping root-stock (rhizome), native 

 of the moist forests of Ceylon and Southern 

 India, up to 3,000 feet. In cultivation it 

 thrives best at 2,500 to 3,500 feet, provided 

 sufficient forest trees are left to afford pro- 

 tection from strong wind and sun. The 

 spice consists of the fruit, or rather the 

 numerous small seeds enclosed by the green 

 ovoid capsule. The fruits are gathered be- 

 fore they are fully ripe, washed free from 

 sand, &c„ and then subjected to sulphur 

 fumes, after which they are bleached in 

 the sun ; when dried and ready for export 

 they are of a pale straw colour. As they 

 vary in size and shape, from ^ to f inch 

 long, and from oblong to oval or almost 

 round, they are graded for export. Carda- 

 moms are a powerful aromatic and are used 

 chiefly in confectionery, as an ingredient in 

 curry powder, and also in medicine. The 

 seeds are much esteemed by the natives for 

 use with mastieatories, or for sweetening 

 the breath. The plants are increased by 

 division of the li bulbs" (rhizomes), or by 

 sowing seed in well-prepared nursery beds. 

 In . planting out, 2 to 4 " bulbs " or plants are 

 placed in each hole or clump, these being 7 or 

 8 feet apart each way, or about 850 to the 

 acre. A small crop may be expected in thive 

 years from the time of planting, and from 

 the 6th year a return of 250 lb. to 500 lb. per 

 acre may be obtained according to cultiva- 

 tion, nature of the soil, &c. The plants are 

 in bearing all the year round, the crop being 

 gathered once every fortnight or three 

 weeks ; the fruits must be cut by scissors, not 

 pulled by hand. Cardamoms now fetch from 

 Is. 5d. to 3s. per lb. in London. Twenty years 

 ago they were sold for as high as 9s. a pound. 



