389 



"wood, only leaving the large trees for shade, remove all stones, stumps, and 

 roots, dig the place "svell six or eight inches deep, then form into long beds of 

 three or four feet "svide, put the seeds down nine or twelve inches apart, cover 

 them eight or twelve inches above the ground by a platform, and water them 

 every other day until the seeds grow up and give one pair of leaves, then leave off 

 watering (unless great dry weather prevail, then it ought to be continued) but not 

 uncover until the plants grow up six or eight inches high, and can bear the sun ; 

 these seedlings will be ready for transplanting after three months from the time 

 they were sown. 



The forming of nurseries is done at the close of the year, before December. 

 When this is done first, the paiiy commences clearing and preparing the land 

 during the dry season, which is from the beginning of December up to the end 

 of ]March following. April will set in with heavy rain (it is generally so in 

 Ceylon), and it will continue wet weather till the end of August, very often 

 till September and October, and you have the benefit of four or five months rain. 



The cinnamon seeds are to be gathered when they are fully ripe, they must be 

 heaped up in a shady place, to have the outside red pulp rotted, when it turns 

 quite black, then have the seeds trampled or otherwise freed from the decom- 

 posed pulp, without injuring the seeds, and well washed in water (just as is 

 done to cherry coffee, before they are made into parchment in the whole shell). 

 Finally, have the seeds* well dried in the air without exposing them to the sun, 

 and then put them in on the ground prepared for their reception. In washing the 

 seeds, those that float on the surface should be rejected. 



There are five different sorts of cinnamon, viz. : — 



1st is called Panny Meers Carundoo. 

 2nd .. Tittha „ „ 

 3rd . . Kahatte ,, ,, 

 4th . . Wallee „ „ 

 5th . . Savell ,, „ 



Of these, the first kind is the best of all, the 2nd and 3rd, although inferior, 

 are peeled likewise, the 4th and oth are spurious. 



The distinction in the cinnamon can be known both by taste, the shape of the 

 leaves on the tree, and an experienced " Challya" man will judge the cinnamon 

 by first sight. 



The quality of the bark depends upon its situation in the branch, that peeled 

 from the middle of the bush or branch being the most siqjerior, and classed as 

 Ist sort, that taken from the upper end is the 2nd quality, while the bark removed 

 from the base of the branch, or the thickest end, is the inferior, and called the 

 3rd sort. 



From the cinnamon bark refused in the sorting store of all kinds, in separating 

 the first, second and third qualities and in making bales for exportation, the 

 refuse is collected, and by a chemical process cinnamon oil is extracted, which 

 sells very high, with an export duty of 33. or 1| rupees on each ounce, ex- 

 clusive of the British duties payable in England for importation, which is at 

 present one shilling and three pence per pound, f 



Of the cinnamon roots camphor is made, which sells well both in Ceylon and 

 other parts of the world. 



Cinnamon, as a medicine, is a powerful stimulant, but it is not 

 much used alone. It is generally united with other tonics and 

 stimulants, but its ordinary use is to mask the disagreeable odor 

 and taste of other medicines. The oil of cinnamon is prepared by 

 being grossly powdered and macerated in sea water for two days 

 and two nights, and both are put into the still. A light oil comes 

 over with the water, and floats on its surface ; a heavy oil sinks to 

 the bottom of the receiver, four hours before the light oil separates 

 from the water, and whilst the heavy oil continues to be precipi- 



* K cinnamon seeds after washing be exposed to the sun, even for twenty minutes, the 

 shells will crack in two, and this prevents the seeds from growing. 



t No export duties exist in the Straits Settlements. 



