I 
INTRODUCTION 
3 
permanent crops, lasting for a number of years. Such 
are nutmegs, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, vanilla. 
2. Garden crops, which are done on a smaller scale, 
are less permanent and often cultivated as a sub- 
sidiary crop to other permanent crops. Such are ginger, 
capsicums, pepper. 
3. Field crops, which are done on a large scale as a 
temporary crop, and often grown in rotation with other 
field crops. Such are coriander and cumin. 
A certain number of commercial spices are hardly 
cultivated at all, but are derived from wild trees or 
plants, the demand for them not being greater at present 
than the forest can supply. Such are Malay cassia-bark 
and calamus root. Any of them may at any time, how- 
ever, come into a greater demand, and it would then be 
necessary to develop the cultivation. It is therefore 
desirable to pay some attention to them, as it is not 
always easy to predict their future. Thus calamus root 
is grown all over the East, as well as in many other 
parts of the world, in small quantities, as a native 
medicine, and imported occasionally into European 
markets. Eecently, however, a planter in the Malay 
states distilled the oil of it, and sent some of it with 
other oils to Europe for examination. It proved to 
be in great request by certain brewing firms as a 
beer flavouring, and was highly valued. The demand 
for this product was quite unknown to cultivators and 
distillers in the East. 
The produce included under the name of spices 
comprises all aromatic vegetable products which are 
used in flavouring food and drinks, but almost all have 
other uses as well, for which they are in great request 
in commerce. Many are used in perfumery, or in soap- 
making, such as vanilla, cloves, and pepper, others 
in the manufacture of incense — cinnamon. A good 
number are utilised in medicine, either as a flavouring, 
or for their special therapeutic values — cardamoms, 
ginger, nutmegs, etc. Turmeric is used in dyeing, 
especially by natives ; clove oil in microscopy, and 
