i66 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST [September 2, 1889 
to the limit of the ascertained demand, occasionally 
realized for firstclass bark a price approaching 
£1 in money for one pound of bark, and even so 
lately as 1830, in the British period, the average 
price of Ceylon cinnamon in the London market 
was so high as 8s per lb. Thence the descent was 
rapid, under the influence of the abolition of the 
monopoly and the enormous increase of exports 
resulting from free trade in the article, down to 
Is 3d in 1888, at which rate it was deemed 
that the cost of production and careful culti- 
vation was scarcely covered. The average ex- 
port from Oeylon in the monopoly days rarely ex- 
ceeded half a million of pounds. With the absence 
of all restriction the exports rose rapidly until in 
one year, what with "chips" (previously worked 
up in the distillation of cinnamon oil) added to 
the baled spice, the figures closely approached three 
millions. The large proportion of chips included 
in the exports at last reduced the cinnamon of 
Ceylon to the level of a competitor with the Chinese 
bark, known in the market as cassia lignea. Com- 
bination was, a few years ago, resorted to, in 
order to abolish or restrict the export of chips, 
but the attempt broke down ; and now it 
remains to be seen what success will attend 
the recent effort, the nature of which is 
reported in the Observer of Saturday. Our fear of 
another fiasco is founded on the very circumstance 
which, curiously enough, led Mr. Cookburn to hope, 
although with a good deal of hesitation, for good 
results. This gentleman is reported as saying : — 
He thought the step that was now being taken a 
good one, and if they did all in their power to pre- 
vent the preparation of chips themselves the small 
proprietors would probably find that it would not pay 
them, and would cease from scraping. 
The logical conclusion would certainly be the reverse of 
this, namely, that the small growers who have not 
joined the compact against exporting chips will rather 
find the export so profitable, when the competition of 
the larger producers is removed, that they will not only 
persevere but gradually have their example followed. 
The analogy between tea and cinnamon is, in some 
respects, curious and striking. Mr. Jardine as chair- 
man of Saturday's meeting announced that the 
average prioe of cinnamon was down to 9d, as 
nearly as possible the figure to which, under 
rapidly increased production and export, Ceylon tea 
has fallen. Then, while it has been necessary to warn 
Ceylon tea planters, that, if they cease exporting 
low quality and therefore oheap teas, the Chinese 
will rush in where they feared to tread; so at 
Saturday's meeting the question was very natu- 
rally raised whether the withdrawal of Ceylon 
cinnamon chips from the market might not result 
in merely leaving room for so much more " cassia " 
bark from China and |other sources. The analogy 
between tea and cinnamon is however of very limited 
extent, for while the former is now a necessary 
and favourite article of food with a large portion of 
the human race, and the consumption is likely to 
increase indefinitely, cinnamon and the oil distilled 
from it are almost wholly luxuries, the limit of 
the use of which seems to have been reached. Cin. 
namon bark is used to flavour chocolate and 
puddings, as an ingredient in the " incense " of 
Romanist churches, and a constituent of Thorley's 
food for horses. In medicine and confectionery 
the bark and oil are used to some extent, while 
cinnamon and sulphur are combined in a new 
mode of preserving food (birds and other 
creatures being preserved whole) which recently 
created excitement in Britain and Australia. Except 
in this latter diroction we do not see much 
prospect of increased consumption of our once 
famous and costly spice. One of the most striking 
proofs of (ho tall ia value of cinnamon 
as a cultivated product is to be found 
in the fact that the shrubs are being rooted 
and cleared out in favour of coconuts over a large 
portion of Mr. De Soysa's plantation conm oted 
with Alfred House, which we have been in the 
habit of showing to strangerB as the perfectio n of 
cinnamon cultivation. We suspect this process of 
extermination is now largely pursued, instead of 
that of extension, so common some years ago. — 
It will be observed that a pledge was resolved on 
at the meeting against the manufacture of cinna- 
mon-leaf oil. The prohibition, as we understand it, 
is in the interest of the fine aromatic oil distilled 
from oinnamon bark, generally put to this use in the 
shape of chips. The two essential oils are so different 
in quality and taste, — that drawn from the leaves 
closely resembling clove oil and being empl iyed 
to rub inside the covers of books as a pre- 
servative against fungi and insects, — that 
we can scarcely conceive of a successful 
attempt to adulterate the very much finer 
oil with the coarser, the latter being entirely 
destitute of the peculiar and delicate flavour of 
cinnamon. If, however, it is true that the delicate 
oitronella and lemongrass oils of Ceylon are adul- 
terated extensively with kerosene, we are prepared 
to believe in almost any attempt at mixing an 
inferior substance with a superior. The coarse and 
pungent odour of the specially brittle leaves of the 
cinnamon tree as contrasted with the delicate aroma 
of the inner bark, or the oil distilled from .t, ia 
really one of the curious peculiarities of this famous 
and once valuable plant, the other being that 
from the roots a substance resembling camphor 
is prepared which the Sinhalese manufacture into 
candles for festive occasions. On the other hand 
the so-called "cassia" plants of China (a 
variety of cinnamon), while their bark is in- 
ferior to that obtained from the Ceylon plants, 
grow leaves with a much more pleasant scent 
than that which characterizes the leaves ot the 
Ceylon bushes. So Dr. Trimen reported on re- 
ceiving plants from China. Dr. Trimen added, fchu 
probably China supplied the cinnamon of the 
Mosaic and other ancient writings. This does not 
seem to us so certain, although attempts have 
been made to derive the very name from the 
land of Sinnim. Old writings are vague as to 
the origin of products collected by trading 
fleets, and if, as many now believe, China received 
the tea plant from India (Assam), it may be 
that the celestials, who had early and large inter- 
course with our island, got their cinnamon hark 
and ultimately their cinnamon plants from Ceylon. 
What is certain is that the product which was once so 
valuable in commerce and for which Ceylon was so 
famous for many ages has fallen on evil days 
and now resembles silver in the days of Solomon 
in being little accounted of. Ceylon has swamped 
the markets of the world with cinchona and 
cinnamon, and strenuous efforts to open up new 
markets must not be intermitted lest the same fate 
should befall tea. The difference of course remains 
that tea is not merely a medicine or a luxury, 
but a valuahle article of food, the use of which 
is certain to increase with the advance of popu- 
lation and wealth in the world. 
♦ 
GEMMING IN SABARAGAMUWA. 
No. II. 
Sabaragamuwa, 19th July. 
Some new gemming lands have been discovered 
in the neighbourhood of lialangoda on the left 
bank of tho Wallawe-ganga, some 8 or 10 miles 
down, and some, good finds have been made. One 
