Am.. lour.  Pharm.  1 
Mar.,  1883.  j 
Origin  of  Cassia  Ligiiea. 
137 
since  the  Tai-Ping  rebellion,  at  which  time,  for  the  preservation  of  the 
plants  and  protection  of  them  from  destruction  by  the  rebels,  they  were 
transferred  from  a  district  further  south,  at  which  it  is  reported  the 
cultivation  of  cassia  was  abandoned  when  it  was  commenced  at  Loting- 
"The  next  district  is  that  of  Lukpo,  which  is  much  less  important 
than  the  other  two.  The  city  of  Lukpo  is  situated  on  the  northern 
bank  of  the  West  River ;  and  the  plantations  are  situated  at  about 
fifteen  miles  between  the  nearest  one  and  the  city. 
"  In  addition  to  these  places  there  are  several  small  localities  near 
the  West  River  at  intermediate  places,  where  small  patches  of  cassia 
are  grown  ;  and  as  the  quantities  of  bark  obtained  are  too  small  to  send 
to  market  towns,  it  is  brought  off  by  small  boats  and  sold  to  larger 
boats  which  carry  produce  down  the  river. 
"About  six  miles  southwest  of  the  small  town  of  To  Shing,  which 
is  situated  on  the  southern  bank  of  the  river,  about  twenty-five  miles 
above  the  confluence  of  the  Loting  and  West  rivers,  there  are  some 
plantations,  from  which,  however,  no  bark  has  been  obtained  for  two 
years  and  no  new  plantations  made  for  ten,  because  the  low  prices 
which  can  noAV  be  obtained  for  the  bark  do  not  leave  any  profit  to  the 
producer.  This  was  the  only  instance  which  came  to  my  knowledge 
of  the  decrease  of  the  trade  in  the  cassia  production,  although  it  is  said 
that  the  Java  cassia  trade,  in  consequence  of  the  lower  prices  at  which 
the  cassia  can  there  be  produced,  is  cutting  out  and  crippling  the  China 
trade.'' 
From  each  of  the  districts  of  Taiwu,  Lukpo  and  Loting,  Mr.  Ford 
obtained  and  sent  to  Kew  copious  and  excellent  specimens.  These 
have  been  examined  by  my  colleague.  Professor  Oliver,  who  informs 
me  that  they  certainly  all  belong  to  the  same  species,  and  that  this  is 
undoubtedly  Cinnamomum  Cassia,  Blume.  Mr.  Ford  took  great 
pains  to  ascertain  if  this  was  the  exclusive  source  of  Cassia  lignea. 
He  reports :  — 
"This  is  the  only  tree  from  which  cassia  bark,  '  buds,'  or  leaves  of 
commerce  in  China,  so  far  as  could  be  ascertained  from  personal  inspec- 
tion and  reports,  are  obtained.  All  the  trees  seen  in  the  districts  of 
Taiwu,  Loting  and  Lukpo,  and  intermediate  localities  where  cassia  was 
grown  in  smaller  quantities,  were  of  this  species,  nor  were  there,  appa- 
rently, distinct  varieties  of  the  species  in  cultivation.  The  cultivators 
and  other  natives  were  much  interrogated  as  to  wdiether  they  knew  or 
had  heard  of  any  other  tree  which  yielded  the  products  under  notice. 
