CHAP. 
SPICES 
lbs. 
Value in Rupees. 
1872 . 
9,273 
1873 . 
9,000 
1874 . 
9,000 
1875 . 
14,337 
15,521 
1876 . 
4,965 
11,108 
8,202 
1877 . 
19,226 
1878 . 
15,975 
35,398 
1879 . 
17,732 
15,127 
1880 . 
17,392 
1881 . 
17,769 
1882 . 
23,127 
1883 . 
21,655 
1884 . 
66,319 
1885 . 
152,405 
1886 . 
. 236,056 
1887 . 
. 321,500 
1888 . 
. 310,685 
1889 . 
. 350,000 
The Portuguese were the first to pay attention to 
the cardamom as an article of trade in Ceylon in the 
sixteenth century, and the Dutch Government fostered 
the industry in every way during their occupation of 
the island. But it was after the failure of coffee in 
Ceylon in 1878, that the industry developed to its 
greatest. So successful was this cultivation that it is 
recorded that an acre of cardamoms produced as much 
as £300 worth. The price, however, owing to increased 
production, fell, but even at 2s. per lb. cardamoms 
give a handsome profit. The present price is about 4s. 
per lb. 
USES 
Cardamoms are used in curry -powder, and for 
flavouring cakes, especially in Eussia, Sweden, Norway, 
and parts of Germany. They are also used in the 
manufacture of liqueurs, Ceylon cardamoms being 
almost exclusively used for this purpose. 
In European medicine they are chiefly used in 
tincture of cardamoms, as a stomachic, and in combina- 
tion with other drugs as an aromatic. 
