17 
In wet countries like Seychelles where manures are still, generally speaking, an unknown 
factor in the production of crops it is far easier to get crops from the leaves (perfume plants) 
and bark (rubber) than from the fruits (coconuts, vanilla, etc.) which are handicapped in poor 
and unmanured soils. 
Besides rats and the above 2 fungi there is no record of the other dreaded rubber diseases 
having yet made their appearance. It should not be forgotten however that the wet weather 
prevailing in this Colony makes it one of the most favourable habitats for fungi of all sorts 
and that ali dead or drying branches of a cultivated tree like rubber should be at once burnt, 
no matter whether it is suffering from any sort of die back or not. This Colony is too small 
and too poor to adopt other sanitary measures for a long time to come. 
CHAPTER IX. 
ESSENTIAL DLLS AND THE MINOR INDUSTRIES. 
1915. 
1916. 
- 
1917. 
Quantity 
Declared 
Declared 
Declared 
in litres 
value 
Quantity 
value 
Quantity 
value 
Rs 
Rs 
Rs 
Cinnamon bark oil 
99 
1,099 
1,834 
15,609 
91 
2,561 
Cinnamon leaf oil 
1 
9,587 
37,572 
15,699 
- 
67,256 
14,175 
64,753 
Clove leaf oil 
465 
2,325 
2,137 
10,557 
797 
4,005 
Lemon grass oil ... 
77 
308 
6 
24 
148 
1,061 
Bigarade leaves oil 
... 
... 
12 
688 
Yetiver oil 
. 
81 
666 
... 
... 
-- - 
L — 
TOTAL ... 
10,228 
41,304 
j 19,080 
94,200 
15,169 
72,380 
The smaller amount exported in 1917 as compared to 19 16 is due to shipping difficulties 
and to the consequent suspension of the work hr several distilleries. That the industry is a 
most paying one can be judged by the fact that in spite of these difficulties so much oil has 
been exported. 1 do not think that the declared value for 1917 is a fair one, the price of 
cinnamon oil having increased considerably and nearly double but the exporters have declared 
the same price as the year before. 
one put up by 
Owing to the large increase of population the development of this new industry is bene¬ 
fiting largely the poorer classes. In a distillery working 45 tons of cinnamon leaves yielding 
275 kilogs of oil a month, no less than 90 persons are employed. This means that employ^ 
ment for about 1000 men, women (mostly ckillren), is found in ail the distilleries. The yield 
is very variable, according to the time or the year an.-, age of the leaves. New flushes of 
young leaves and old leaves at the time of flowering yield less. The yield varies from 4 to 8 
kilogs per ton. The yield is better when steam distillation is carried on with proper arrange¬ 
ment for good condensation and the distillation is also quicker. 
Cinnamon leaf oil is distilled all the year round and there is enough cinnamon growing on 
the hills in Make to allow several more distilleries being put up. In Praslin there are 3 uot 
many cinnamon trees growing up to no w but in the Geverame.it forests at Anse Made Louise 
there are huge trees, over 100 years old, and from these plants many seeds are being scattered 
all over the place. These seeds, being very succulent when ripe, are propagated m Mahe by 
wild pigeons and mynas. 
According to Professor Dunstan, cinnamon leaf oii from Seychelles is stated to contain a 
uniformly high percentage of eugenoi (75 to 90o/o) but to possess a mire clove-like and less 
persistant odour than the leaf oil from Ceylon. 
At the beginning of 1917 the price in London was 4d per oz for African and 6d per oz 
for Ceylon. (Rs 8.50 to Rs 12.90 per kilog). The price has now risen. The oil is needed as 
a source of eugenoi which is employed for the preparation of vanillin and also for soap scent¬ 
ing purposes. 
The distillery erected by the Chinaman was a good piece of work. An evaporating basin 
of an old sugar cane factory served as the^b^ttom part of the still above the furnace and the 
rest is a network or wooden casks and copper condensers admirably arranged to distill the same 
quantity of cinnamon leaves in double the necessary time and with about the same yield. As 
copper and other metals are unobtainable during the war the example of the Chinaman will be 
followed. 
