1 Ocr., 1899.] QUEENSLAND AGRICULTURAL JOURNAL. 415 
the sun will cause the capsules to split and lose their contents. When quite 
ary, spread the fruit out in a loft and allow it to wither for from 12 to 15 
ours. 
Cardamoms, to be made marketable, require to be bleached. This, though 
seemingly ridiculously easy, requires nevertheless a cood deal of watching, for, 
should the fruit be too long exposed to the process, the seeds will attain a light 
brownish colour, instead of their natural black, and lose much in value. For 
the purpose of bleaching, it will be necessary to have ready, by the time the 
withering process has been completed, a wooden box, much resembling a sentry 
box (as airtight as possible), with slides so as to admit a number of trays, 
bottomed with thin Hessian, to be inserted therein at distances of from 8 to 10 
inches apart. The withering being completed, dip the Cardamoms in water for 
afew moments; then place them on the trays to the depth of from 2 to 3 inches. 
When all the trays have been treated alike, place on the ground inside the box, 
and not within less than 2 feet of the lowest tray, a bucket or some such receptacle 
containing burning charcoal, over which, when all is ready, throw a full handful 
of powdered sulphur. ‘Then close the door quickly and ‘as tightly as possible, 
and allow the bleaching to go on for from 15 to 20 minutes, when the door may 
be opened, and the trays emptied out on to some clean Hessian, and the 
contents allowed to dry thoroughly in the sun. When dry, the ends of the 
capsules are taken off with the aid of a sharp scissors ; they re then sized and. 
packed for market, preferably in lead-lined boxes, ag many shipping companies 
object strongly to carry Cardamoms, unless so packed, on account of their strong 
aromatic odour. 
NOTES ON CANATGRRE, 
(Translated from the Revue des Cultures Coloniales.) 
Canatare may be cultivated on arid soils, as it requires only one-third of the 
quantity of water per acre necessary for fruits or cereals, and even still less, if 
the water supply is limited, the rains of a winter being sufficient for its ordinary 
requirements. ‘This plant cannot be injured either by heat, cold, wind, disease, 
or insects. 
Canaigre requires a light siliceous soil, rich in nitr 
A : ogen and with a good 
easterly aspect; fogs and very heavy frosts are its enemj 
es, 
In many places where the plant is cultivated, in the United States, such 
conditions do not exist, and the yield is in consequence much reduced. 
Canaigre grows during the winter—October to April (in Eurone)*—when the 
first rains give the soil the humidity necessary for its development. The best 
season for planting the tubers is September or October. They are set at 
distances of 1 foot apart in the rows, the latter being 2 feet apart. ‘The crown 
alone of the tubers germinate, consequently there is no advantace in cutting 
them, as is done in the case of potatoes, for example. ig 
The seeds produced in the early summer only produce very small tubers in 
the first year, and sowing them would hardly pay. 
Once the tubers are planted, they increase rapidly in size and weight, and 
form bunches. 
If there is no great demand for the produce—if some other cause prevents 
the harvesting at the proper time for a good market—the roots can remain in 
the ground for a year or two, and will continue to increase in size and value at 
the rate of 25 dollars per annum. 
* April to September, in Queensland, 
+ March or April, in Queensland. 
