September, 1909,] 



225 



Edible Products^ 



The total export from Ceylon for 1908 was 

 715,418 lbs., and the highest price realised 

 was about 2s. Id. per lb. 



Varieties. — " Malabar Cardamom " is dis- 

 tinguished by the leaves being softly pubes- 

 cent on the under side, and the flower- 

 racemes having a tendency to trail near the 

 ground. "Mysore Cardamom" has the 

 leaves glabrous on both sides, and the flower- 

 racemes are of a more erect habit. The latter 

 variety is therefoi'e preferred for cultivation, 

 as the fruits, being further from the ground, 

 are not so liable to get damaged as those 

 of the trailing racemes. 



Cassia Bark ; Cassia Lignea, or Chinese 

 Cassia (Cinnamomum Cassia, N. O. Lau- 

 raceas). — A small tree, 20 to 30 feet high, with 

 long lanceolate brittle leaves, allied to the 

 Cinnamon. The tree is a native of Southern 

 China, and has been introduced in 1882 to 

 Peradeniya, where it is now well established, 

 bearing seed each year in July and August. 

 The whole tree is pleasantly aromatic. In 

 its native country it is cultivated for its fruit 

 "buds" or for the bark, the latter being 

 peeled off much in the same way as cinna- 

 mon, and made up in bundles for export. 

 The first crop of bark is said to be obtained 

 when the trees are about six years old, 

 the yield per acre being " about 11 piculs 

 (1 picul = 133^ lb.), which is sold by the pro- 

 ducers for about $1*50 per picul, i.e., $18'50per 

 acre." In addition to this, however, a yearly 

 income is made from the sale of leaves and the 

 dried unripe fruits, the latter being exported 

 as " Cassia Buds," which are esteemed as a 

 spice, especially for confectionery. The tree 

 is propagated from seed, and requires similar 

 conditions of soil and climate as Cinnamon. 



Chillies, or Capsicums ; " Miris " or " Gas- 

 miris," S. ; " Cochika," T. (Capsicum spp,, 

 N. O. Solanaceee). — Small annual or bien- 

 nial herbaceous, shrubby plants, cidtivated 

 throughout the tropics for the sake of their 

 pungent fruits, which are usually an in- 

 dispensable spice in the food of people in 

 tropical countries, more especially that of 

 the natives. The fruits are also used in 

 pickles and sauces, in the manufacture of 

 " Cayenne pepper," and in medicine. Though 

 all are generally known as "chillies" or 

 "capsicums," there are many species or 

 varieties, such as Capsicum annuum (Red- 

 pepper), C. baccatum and C. minimum (Bird- 

 pepper or Guinea-pepper), C. frutescens Goat 

 or Spur-pepper), C, tetragonum (Bonnet- 

 pepper), C. fastigiatum (from Japan), &c. 

 Some forms of chillies known as " Bell 

 Capsicums," are entirely free from the acrid 

 and burning pungency so characteristic of 

 these fruits, and may be eaten cooked as a 

 vegetable or in salads. Chillies thrive best 

 in loose humous soil, which must be well- 

 tilled, and will grow up to 3,000 feet or more 

 above sea-level. Seeds may be sown in beds 

 or boxes, the seedlings being planted out in 

 29 



well prepared ground when 3 to 4 inches high, 

 at distances of about 2 feet apart, or at the 

 rate of 10,800 plants to the acre. A crop is 

 obtained in about 8 months, and the yield may 

 be from 1,000 lbs. to 1,400 lbs. dried chillies 

 per acre. Chillies sell in London at 30s. to 

 45s. per cwt., the"Nepaul chillies usually 

 fetching the highest price, these being some- 

 times sold in London for £4 per cwt. 

 Chillies are largely exported from Zanzibar, 

 India, Natal, West Indies, &c. 



Cinnamon ; " Kurundu," S. (Cinnamomum 

 zeylaniciim, N. O. Lauracese). — A moderate 

 or large-sized tree, 40 to 60 feet high, native 

 of Ceylon and South India. In cultivation 

 it is coppiced low, so as to induce the growth 

 of long straight clean shoots, which are cut 

 periodically, close to the ground, for the 

 bark. The young clean bark is slit longitu- 

 dinally and removed by the "peelers " ; it is 

 then piled into heaps to undergo a slight 

 fermentation, a process which facilitates the 

 next operation of removing the cuticle or 

 epidermis, which is done by scraping with a 

 curved knife. The bark then dries and con- 

 tracts into quills, the smaller of which are 

 placed inside the larger, forming smooth canes 

 about 3 feet long and, when dry, of a light 

 yellowish brown colour. These are made into 

 bales of about lOOlbs. for export. Two cuttings 

 a year are obtained, commencing with the 

 rainy seasons, in May and October ; the shoots 

 cut are mostly of 2 years' growth. A return 

 of a bale of 100 lbs. per acre may be expected 

 from the first crop, in the 4th or 5th year 

 from time of planting, the yield increasing 

 each year until the 8th or 10th year, when 

 as much as three bales per acre may be ob- 

 tained. The present price of cinnamon in 

 London is about Id. to 10c/, per lb. The 

 tree is propagated by cuttings, layers, 

 transplanted stumps, or by seed ; seedling 

 plants from nurseries, though usually 

 taking longer to yield a return, are often 

 preferred. The plants are put out in the 

 field at a distance of about 10 feet apart, 

 or approximately 435 to the acre. A light 

 sandy porous soil produces the best cinna- 

 mon ; the tree thrives up to about 2,000 ft. 

 in the moist zone. "Cinnamon Chips" are 

 the small waste pieces resulting from the 

 cutting and peeling operations, and are 

 exported chiefly for the distillation of 

 "Cinnamon oil," The latter is also manu- 

 factured locally to some extentand exported. 

 There are several varieties of Cinnamon, the 

 principal being "Penni" or "Rasa-kurundu," 

 Tittha-kurundn," and " Kahata -kurundu," 

 all Sinhalese names. Cinnamon was the first 

 article of importance exported from Ceylon, 

 and at one time was sold in Europe for 

 fabulous prices. 



Clove; " Karabu," S. (Eugenia caryo- 

 phyllata, N. O. Myrtaceae). — A small conical 

 tree, 30 to 40 feet high, native of the Moluc- 

 cas, introduced and established in Ceylon 



