31 ? 
chew it separately, or with betel; it is a principal ingredient in their 
cookery, and used medicinally as a stomachic. Tine plant in appear- 
ance resembles the ginger: it attains the height of two or three feet, 
and sometimes more, before it bears fruit; the blossoms are small, 
white, and variegated with purple; some have a brownish appear- 
ance: they are succeeded by small green pods, containing the seeds, 
which become of a light brown when the seed ripens, grows black, 
and acquires the aromatic flavour for which it is so estimable. 
This valuable spice is indigenous to many parts of Malabar, 
but flourishes most on the acclivity of moist cool hills, among low 
trees, bushes, and little springs of water: although the cardamom 
delights in such a situation, it will grow in other places; and is 
sometimes planted in gardens and orchards of plantain trees; the 
roots are taken up and divided. The cardamom hills are gene- 
rally private property; when the plants are discovered, they are 
preserved with great care, by cutting down the bushes, and attend- 
ing to the shoots for three years, at which time they begin to bear; 
they have attained their full growth, and produce the best crops 
in the fourth year, after which they generally decay. The plants 
spring up in the rainy season; those under cultivation are not per- 
mitted to grow too close to each other; when it so happens the 
roots are divided, and planted at a greater distance: the seed be- 
gins to ripen about the middle of September, and continues more 
or less for the space of two months. The capsules, or seed-pods, 
sometimes grow on a high stalk, often in short clusters near the 
root: such as are ripe are daily gathered, and carefully dried for 
sale; otherwise the birds and squirrels would carry off a large 
share. It is supposed these animals scatter the seed in the unfre- 
