800 
THE TROPICAL AGBICULTUEIST. [June 1, 19oi 
The output of the Yucatan fiber £or the ten ^ea-ta 
ending December 31, 1901i was i 
Year. 
1892 
1*98 
1894 
189£ 
1896 
1897 
Bales.* 
No. 
353,525 
355,123 
373,883 
381,504 
397,163 
419,975 
jfear, 
1898 
1899 
190O 
1901 
Bales.* 
No. 
418,972 
445,978 
499,634 
517,519 
Total 4,163,276 
* Each bale weighs approximately 400 pounds. 
A bale of hemp at <^o-clay'8 prices is worth $84 
Mexioar, The Mexican dollar is worth to-day 40^ 
cents gold. 
The output for the fisoal year ended June 30, 
1902, y^: 
Month Bales. Weight. Value. 
Number. 
Tons. 
Mexican. 
U. S. 
1901-July 
64,460 
10,319.7 
$1,960,737 
f841,I56 
August 
48,726 
7,988 6 
1,917,277 
822,512 
Sept. 
44,634 
7,2719 
2,337,017 
998,290 
Oct. 
32,455 
5,295.7 
1,725,912 
720,416 
Nov. 
40.328 
6,342.3 
2,377,077 
1,019,766 
Dec. 
34,747 
5,515.1 
2,126,960 
912,466 
1902— January 
45,998 
7,355.1 
2,726 792 
1,169,794 
February 
38,052 
5,889.2 
2,334,179 
1,001,363 
March 
60,915 
9,712.7 
3,496,691 
1,500,088 
April 
61,887 
9,769.8 
4,469,689 
1,917,497 
May 
50,547 
7,9567 
3,433,308 
1,472,909 
Jtine 
41,569 
6,588.4 
2,662,344 
1,142 246 
Total. ;'564,308 90,005.3 31.557,888 18,538,348 
There will be a falling off in the supply for the 
season of 1903. The causes of this diminishing 
output, despite the high prices that prevail, will 
be the deoteasing acreage of new fields. Labourers 
are scarce, and the great majority of planters dislike 
to stop cleaning fiber long enough to plant new 
fields or replant old ones. — Modern Mexico. 
CARDAMOM NOMENCLATURE: 
HOW MISTAKES AROSE. 
(To the Editor '' Times of Ceylon.") 
Sir, — In your issue of 20th instant there appeared 
extracts from the Report of the Controller of the 
Government experimental Station at Peradeniya, 
One of these extracts refers to cardomoms. The 
writer of the Report refers to the unfortunate 
reversal of the nomenclature of the two varieties of 
cardamoms in Ceylon. I was engaged in the cultva- 
tion of cardampms for 6 years in Mysore, and I 
fully established the fact that what the planters in 
Ceylon call the Molahar is the true and only Mysore 
Variety. What the planters in Ceylon call thor Mysore 
is the Allepy or Malabar variety. The former — 
the true Mysore — has a layer of silky haira on the 
under-surface of the leaves, and a trailing inflorescence 
or raceme. The latter— the Allepy or Malabar has a 
glabrous under-surface of the leaves and an erect in- 
florescence or racGme. The sowing of seeds obtained 
from an experienced Mysore planter, in order to 
settle the point; is a belated though sure method of 
oing so. I obtained seeds of the robust or glabrous 
variety and raised plants from the same which 
astonished the Mysore natives considerably. I under- 
stand that Travancore has both varieties. Mr. J. A. 
llunter can speak of this. The origin of the mistake 
I believe, was stated by the late Mr, Macartney. The 
first lot was obtained from Travancore, which was 
the true il/ysore, and it was named iW«?ater. Another 
variety arrived and this was ignorautly named the 
Mysore, thup, as 1 have said before, entirely reversing 
the nam«B.-Yo.uiB, &c, W. A, TTTLER. 
Kotuwagedera, Matale, May 21 st. 
P.'S. — A pood way to dislinguish the varieties is 
to call one the fjlabrous and the other the pubescent, 
but it is too late now to attempt to alter the marks 
in the London market.— W'A.T, 
CABDAMOHS. 
The cultivation of cardamoms is being extended 
in many np-countiy dietiiots and nearly 10,000 acres 
of forest are now occupied with this product in 
Ceylon, Hitherto planters have adopted the "stool" 
method c£ cultivation, and efiected the curing by 
means of sunlight and fumes of burning sulphur. 
There are few products which lend themselves better 
to experiment both in methods of cultivation, and 
curing, and the following plots have been arranged 
with these objects in view. The time of planting 
and condition of plants when put out was very un- 
satisfactory, and much replanting will have to be done 
in these plots. 
VARIETIES. 
Ib Ceylon there are two forms in cultivation, dis» 
tinguished respectively as the Mysore and Malabar 
varieties. There is much confusion as to the equiva- 
lent of these varieties with those in India, and many 
assert that the names as applied in Ceylon are re- 
versed in India. In order to avoid further con- 
fusion it will be necessary to define the characters of 
the varieties chosen. 
The Mysore cardamoms are characterised by a 
larger habit, glossy leaves, and usually erect inflor- 
escence ; the fruits are elongate and rately cornered. 
The Malabars are characterised by a layer of silky 
hairs on the under surface of the leaves, a trailing 
inflorescence, and a more globular and shorter fruit 
than the Mysore. 
The most striking difference is in the erect inflor. 
escence of the Mysore, as against the trailing flower 
system of the Malabar variety. 
The other characters form a continuous series of 
variations, and the two kinds of cardamoms cannot 
be regarded as anything but varieties of the same 
species. Prom examination of the development and 
form of the fruit it ocouired to me that the Mysore 
variety was probably the more advanced form in 
cultivation ; the stages pi-esented in the development 
of the fruit of the Malabar variety were observed 
in the Mysore variety, but the latter proceeded one 
stage further, giving a fruit more elongate in outline. 
In order to determine the relation of the varieties 
recognised in Ceylon as "Mysore and Malabar," 
specimens of the true ''Mysore" of India were 
obtained from an experienced Mysore planter. These 
have been planted in a seperate plot. 
The wild cardamom (Elettaria Cardamonium. Mat.) 
is said to be common in the wet forests of Ceylon 
up to 3000 feet. It can be distinguished from the culti- 
vated varieties by its short and sparsely flowered 
inflorescence, and when opportunity occurs a plot will 
be established. It may be possible to improve the 
Ceylon wild form, and efforts will be made in this 
direction. 
Many natives in Ceylon class several species of 
Amoinum as " wild cardamoms." In the Matale 
district Amomiim petrocarpum, Thw., and A. fioribun- 
dum, Thw., are thus regarded. Up to the present no 
attempts have been made to cultivate these species, 
though the seeds of the former are decidedly aromatic. 
The genera Elettaria, Mat., Amomum, L., are so closely 
allied that it would appear reasonable to expect pro- 
fitable results to follow from the experimental cultiva- 
tion of the aromatic species of Amomum, 
CULTIVATION. 
The only form of cultivation in vogue in Ceylon ia 
the "stool " system. The bulbs are planted two 
together or one double bnlb per hole, the holes being 
7 to 8 feet apart. In 4 to 6 years a clump or stool of 
plants is produced, measuring 3 to 4 feet in diameter. 
The stool increases in size from within outwards ; 
the old bulbs occupying the central position gradually 
die aown. Such a method of cultivation has been 
found to j'ield profitable results, and has been adopted 
by most cardamom planters in Ceylon. It is I think 
accompanied by several disadvantages. In the first 
case the stools occupy a limited area, and (he roots of 
