SPICE-, CONDIMENT-, AND PERFUME-PRODUCING PLANTS. 381 



and sold to the druggists under the name of Cardamom. The Amomum 

 has a wide distribution in the moist forests of many lands, generally in 

 marshy ground or by river banks. 



Cardamoms. 



Cardamoms (fig. 137) form one of the finest spices that the world 

 produces. The plant has a wide range from the West Indies, Eastern 

 Archipelago, Java, Sumatra, Ceylon, India, Madagascar, and West Africa. k 



In the forests of Southern India it forms the chief undergrowth in 

 certain provinces. The collecting of the Cardamom crOp is rented out 

 annually by the Government. Being a favourite spice, it is universally 

 used in cakes, liqueurs, curries, and in medicine. The natives use it as 

 a general condiment to their food, and it is likewise held in sacred 

 estimation for the purposes of sacrifice. It is constantly chewed with 

 betel-leaf. Mention is made by early writers that the Portuguese in the 

 seventeenth century directed attention to the collecting and exporting of 

 Cardamoms from India and Ceylon. The Dutch Government during their 

 occupation of Ceylon fostered the industry in every way. Eesulting 

 from the failure of coffee in Ceylon, commencing in 1878, an impetus was 

 given to the cultivation of Cardamoms in districts from 2,000 to 5,000 feet 

 above sea-level. In preparing for Cardamom culture the larger forest 

 trees are thinned out and all the undergrowth cleared away. The plants 

 are inserted at distances ranging from 8 to 10 feet apart each way, 

 and are propagated by division of the root clumps. 



The success in some cases was very marked, and enormous yields 

 were given for a few years. Prices were so high that an acre of Carda- 

 moms produced as much as £300. With the increased area cultivated 

 prices were soon reduced ; still at 2s. per lb. an acre of Cardamoms will 

 give a handsome profit to the cultivator. 



It is a simple and interesting product to grow, and after the third 

 year will go on cropping for many years. The collecting and drying of 

 the fruit should be done in a regular manner. It is better to export in 

 the capsule instead of the clean seed. 



Elettaria Cardamomum is known as the Malabar variety and is more 

 common in cultivation. The flowering racemes take a recumbent form, 

 spreading round the plant. 



Elettaria Cardamomum var. major, known as the Mysore variety, is 

 possibly not such , a heavy bearer, but the fruit is more aromatic, and the 

 flowering racemes grow up right among the foliage of the plant. It is 

 very difficult to arrive at an estimate of the annual crop that the world 

 produces, so much is used in the countries where it is grown. 



Customs returns show in some years 1^ million pounds. 



The latest returns from Ceylon give 8,700 acres in cultivation, and the 

 export is 732,136 lb., valued at 4s. per lb. More than half the exports go 

 to India and the balance to Europe. 



Gingee. 



This plant is to be found over the tropical world, India and China 

 being the largest exporters to European markets. The plant is productive 

 in the warmer temperature zone, and gives satisfactory results. 



