VII 
CASSIA BARK 
229 
CASSIA BARK OR CASSIA LIGNEA 
The most valued Chinese cassia bark approaches 
nearly to cinnamon from Ceylon. It is sold in 
simple quills, not inserted one within the other. They 
are less straight, even, and regular, and darker brown, and 
though some are extremely thin, others are much stouter 
than fine cinnamon. In fact, it is less uniform. The 
outer coat is removed with less care. It is imported 
in small bundles about I ft. in length and I lb. in weight, 
the pieces being bound together with bits of bamboo. 
Good cassia has the flavour of cinnamon, and is as 
sweet and aromatic, though it is often described as less 
fine and delicate in flavour. It is probable that by 
more careful preparation and selection, after the methods 
in use in the cultivation of cinnamon by the Ceylon 
planters, a form of cassia might be turned out which 
would be nearly or quite as good as true cinnamon. 
The plant might be cultivated in many places where 
cinnamon w^ould not be satisfactory, as it seems to be 
less particular as to soil and climate. The returns of 
trade show that there is a good demand for it, though 
at the same time this is probably due to its being 
cheaper than the finely turned out Ceylon cinnamon, 
for it appears to be chiefly used as a substitute for the 
latter. 
CULTIVATION 
Mr. Ford gives the area of cultivation as follows : — 
There are three chief districts where the cassia is cultivated, 
viz. : Taiwa, Lat. 23° 34' N. and Long. 110° 18' E., in the 
Kwangsi province; Lukpo, in Lat. 23° 6' H. and Long. 112° 
24' E. ; and Loting, Lat. 22° 51' 1ST. and Long. 111° 8' E., both 
in Kwantung province. These are the market towns of the 
district, but the cassia is cultivated over a large area of country, 
stretching to considerable distances from the town. 
The cultivation was found to be very extensive, 
especially at Loting, where one of the largest cultivators 
said there were about 1,000,000 maus (about 52,600 
