LAURUS CINNAMOMUM. 
35 
tion of the cinnamon tree into the colonies of other European 
powers ; but their endeavours were frustrated, for long before the 
cession of the Island of Ceylon to the British (at the peace of 
Amiens), it was cultivated in the Isles of France and Bourbon, m 
several parts of India, Jamaica, and some other of the West India 
Islands. It was first cultivated in this country by Mr. Miller, in 
1768 ; and a plant of it has regularly flowered and ripened its seed 
in the hot-house of the Bishop of Winchester at Farnham, for 
several years past. The soil in which it thrives best is nearly pure 
quartz sand ; in the cinnamon garden near Colombo, Dr. J. Davy 
found the soil to consist of 98.5 of silicious sand, and only 1»0 
of vegetable matter in 100 parts. 
In its wild state the cinnamon tree grows to the height of from 
twenty to thirty feet, and is about three feet in circumference ; but 
when cultivated is not suffered to attain so large a size : it sends off 
numerous branches, which are covered with smooth bark, of a 
brownish ash colour ; the leaves are from three to five or six inches 
long, of an oblong form, entire, pointed at both ends, trinerved, of a 
bright green, and stand in opposite pairs, on short channelled foot- 
stalks ; the flowers (which appear in January) are produced from 
the younger branches, in axillary and terminal panicles ; the 
petals are six, oval, pointed, concave, spreading, and of a greenish 
white or yellow colour ; the filaments are nine, shorter than the 
corolla, flat tish, erect, and stand in ternaries; the three innermost 
are gland uliferous, having two small glands placed at the base 
of each ; the anthers are double, and unite over the top of the 
filament; the germen is oblong, supporting a simple style the 
length of the filaments, crowned with a depressed and triangular 
stigma; the fruit is a pulpy pericarpium, containing an oblong nut, 
Resembling a small acorn, of a deep blue colour, with a terebinthine 
odour, and a taste somewhat like that of the juniper berry. 
M. Falck, the Dutch governor of Ceylon, who was a native of the 
island, was the first who devoted any particular attention to its culti- 
vation ; his plans were followed up by our government, and consi- 
derable tracts of many miles are at present occupied by it, and are 
under the constant superintendence of the Chalias, or Mahabadda 
Singhalese, and an English civilian is placed at the head of the 
department. There are several varieties of the cinnamon tree known 
af Ceylon : the finest and most valued is found in the government 
gardens, and is from four to ten feet in height.* The trees that grow 
* Seba enumerates ten varieties ; but the four following only are said to be barked— 
}. Honey, sharp, sweet, or royal cinnamon j 2. Snake cinnamon; 3. Camphorated 
