July i, 1890 .] 
THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST, 
27 
tion would command a price that would compeufate for 
the separation from the flat berry. Fiue iiea-berry is 
worth 110a. 90s per cwt. 
6 . Of small size, fairly eveu colour similar to small 
East India, would command a ready sale probably 
for admixture with Mocha, the berry being of that 
character. 92s per cwt. 
7. Similar to Ceylon in shape of berry of fairly even 
colour, but dull and rather faded. 92s per cwt. 
8 . Pale yellowish and greenish, similar to LaGuayra. 
83s per cwt. 
9. Dull green pale of undesirable appearance and 
mixed with brownish berries which seem to have 
undergone slight decomposition which would make the 
liquor what is known ns “unclean.” 75s per cwt. 
10. Brown and black berries, apparently ov«r ripe. 
COs per cwt. 
11. Pale greenish rather uneven in size, similar to 
Salvador. 85s per cwt. 
12. Good bard coated of line colour and wellgrown. 
This would command a ready sale both for expor- 
tation and for home use, and has much of the 
character of high grown Mysore or Neilglierry Hills, 
98s per cwt. 
The liquor of all except Nos. 9 and 10 is good. No. 
2 has the coarse African flavour which is never entirely 
eradicated. 
Wilson, SiiiTnETT & Co. 
llcmo. from S'lqicrintcndent Hoyal Botanic Gardens 
to Colonial Secretary. 
Sir, — The-Oolfei samples to which the Secretary of 
State’s cemnumioation relates are those which were on 
Exhibition at the Annual Show of Napaiima Agri- 
cultural Society. 
1. It will be seen that the Hybrid Mocha, as last 
year, maintains its superiority over all other samples. 
2. There is an evicleut inferiority in all the Coffee 
prepared by fermentation. No. 1 and No. 9 being the 
same Coffee and from the same district, but the latter 
prepared by fermentation (No. 9) and the former by 
machinery (No. 1.) 
3. The advantages of shipping in parchment are 
shewn wdth much force. 
4. The vrlue of the 1st Prize Coffee at the Napariraa 
Exhibition (San’Feriiando) is estimated at 85s perewt,, 
while the value of No. 12 Hybrid Mocha, shewn against 
it, is given as 98s a difference of 13s per cwt. Tho 
decision of the local Judges is therefore reversed. 
Again, the Creole (No. 9) which took secoud prize at 
San Fernando is valued at 5s per cwt, over the Mont- 
serrat Coffee which was awarded 1st prize. 
This of course shews that the value of the Coffee has 
been jhdged by different standards, but which is most 
reliable, is for growers to judge. 
5. “ Pea-berry ” Coffee generally occurs in all classes 
of Coffee, and simply arises from the fact that one 
ovule if fertilized in the flower, instead of two, as is 
normally the case. The Broker’s lleport does not 
appear to favour any attempt to separate these berries 
from other samples. 
G. Our Liberiau Coffee is very favourably reported 
upon, and at the prices quoted, certainly deserves full 
attention. One important fact in connection with this 
variety is that the Coffee, after being ripe, wdll hang 
on tho trees for several months without deterioration, 
and thus allow the grower to chooio his own time for 
making his harvest. 
7. 'The smaller yield of No. C would prevent any idea 
of its compettiug with such prolific kinds as No. 12, 
Hybrid Mocha. 
8 . The Eeport should be an inducement to planters 
to give the industry a fair trial upou the improved lines 
of culture and preparation. 
CJ XNAiMOM UiM CASSIA. 
With Notes on the Ccdlection of the Bark, from, 
hlr. d. Ihiiiijdireys. 
klr. J. Humphreys, recently a student of thcSociety’s 
Scliool of Pharmacy in llloomsbury Square, on leaving 
for Cbiua a few montbs since, promised to send for 
the Museum ef llio Society tho implomcnts us«d by 
the Chinese in collecting and trimming cassia bark. 
Mr. Humphreys has low sent them, and says in the 
letter accompanying them — 
“According to our Chinese manager the mode of 
collecting the bark is as follows ; — 
“ Transverse cuts are made round the branch or 
stem, which is only of the size of one complete quill 
(viz., about an inch in diameter) at distances of 
about a foot. Then two longitudinal cuts are made 
right down the stem ou each side. This is readily 
peeled off, and when thoroughly dried presents the 
appearance of the samq)ie. 'The chopper-liko knife is 
used for most of the work. The other, a kind of 
spoke.shave, which resembles a plane in its action, i.s 
merely to shave off the corky layer or periderm.” 
He then adds : — 
“ Our Chinese manager tclla me that ‘ by far the 
best cinnamon’ never gets to Europe and grows wild 
in a place in Annam. He tells me it differs altogeiher 
in appearance from Ceylon cinnamon, being in fact 
larger than cas.-ia bark. 'The Chinese pay large sums 
for it.” 
I m.iy now point out that until as lately as the 
year 1884, the exact bolauical source of cassia bark 
was not known with certainty, although it was generally 
attributed to"the tree which is no w proved to yield it. 
The attention ofjtlie Csloirial Office having been directed 
(o tlu) matler by the authorities at New in November, 
1881, Mr. CliBiies Ford, the Superinteudeut of tho 
Bolauical and Afforestation Dep.trtment at Houg Kong, 
w.is sent to the cassia plantations on the AVest Paver 
to procu e living and dried (-pecimeiis of the plant. 
'These he succeeded iu obtaining, snd on November IG 
the result of his investigations was brought before the 
Linuean Society of Loudon by Mr. AY. T. Thiseltou 
Dyer. The infonnaticii tbrui made public has been 
already published in this Journal, vol. xifi., p. 584. 
Mr. Dyer remarked nt that time that although the 
cultivatiou of the Cassia liynea tree has been carried 
on in Southern Ohiija, it doe.s not appear to be indi- 
genous there. In Oochin China, however, there 
appears to be some probability of its being wild. He 
also e|uoto 3 Mr. Ford’s statement to the effect that 
very thick cassia bark is sometimes obtained from the 
trees of ten years old and more, which are reserved 
for producing seeds to supply the places of the small 
trees, cut down every year, the orcliuary trees being 
cut when six years old. 
'These siatements throw some light upon Mr. 
Humphrey’s remarks couceruing the thick cassia bark 
from Amiam, so that it appears probable that the bulk 
of the thick cassia bark used in China is obtained from 
wild trees in Occhiu China, small supplies only being 
obtained from the ca'sia districts in China, when the 
older seed-bearing trees are cut down for any reason. 
The exact part of Cochin China where the cassia tree 
grows wild is mentioned in ‘ Pharmacograirhia,’ 
2nd. ed., p. 320, as follows : — 
“The French expedition of Lieutenant Gamier for 
the exploration of the Mekong and of Cochin 
China (18G6-68) found cassia growing in about N. Lat. 
19^^ in the forests of the valley of the Se Negum, one 
of the affluents of the left bauk of the Mekong, ne-ar 
the frontiers of Annam. A part of this cassia is carried 
by land into China, while another part is conveyed to 
Banghok in Siam.” 
A specimen of the thick cassia bark so liighly valued 
by the Chinese exist.s iii the Haubury collection of. 
IVlateria Medica. 
There are two other points in connection with cassia 
to whirh I may now direct attention. 
1. Mr. Dyer remarks in the paper read before tlio 
Liuneau Society {Jnurn. 'Linn, Soc. 1884, p. 23; that 
Cinnamomum Cassia is botauically closely allied to C. 
olitiisi/oliMn, Nees, one of the species from which a 
simil.ar product is obtaini d on the Khasya lulls m India 
There are specimens of the bark of C. ohti'sifolmm in the 
Jfuseum of Ibis Society from tho collecliou of the luto 
India Museum, received from Kew vhen the distri- 
bution of that collection was effected, 'This bark 
dilfei's cutiri ly from that of Cinnamomum Oussia- in its 
disliuctly fibrous character aud in the remarkable 
coriander flavour it possesses, thus adding another to 
