LAUKACE^E 135
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The second variety has rather broad and obtuse leaves, and, in ad-
dition to the cinnamon taste, a slight flavour resembling 'that of pepper.
"The third variety has smaller, rather ovate-lanceolate leaves, and
the fourth kind narrow elongate-lanceolate leaves only half the diameter
of those of the first variety. The extent to which the bark of these
varieties enters into commerce is difficult to estimate, but, as a rule, the
most slender and longest quills are obtained from the finest varieties,
so that the size of the quill may be taken as some guide, but the final
judgment must always be determined by the sense of taste. The con-
ditions under which the best variety of cinnamon is grown are a very
sandy clay soil, or fine white quartz with a good subsoil, and free ex-
posure to sun and rain on an elevation up to 1500 ft.
" The seeds are sown in seed beds and planted out 4 to 6 ft. apart,
and when about 2 or 3 ins. high the tops are cut off, so as to induce
them to form stools, on which four or five shoots are allowed to grow
for about two years, or until the bark turns brown by the formation of
a corky layer. They are not all cut at the same time, but only as they
arrive at the proper stage of development of the bark; they are
then about 6 to 10 ft. high and •£ to 2 ins. thick. The bark is most
easily separated in May and June, and again in November and Decem-
ber, after the heavy rains have caused an increased flow of sap, so that
there are two harvests, one in the spring and another in the latter part
of the year. A long sickle-shaped hook called a ' catty' is used to cut
off the shoots and strip off the leaves, and the shoots are then slightly
trimmed with a knife, the slender parts thus removed being kept separ-
ate and sold as ' cinnamon chips'. The bark is then cut transversely
at distances of about a foot and slit lengthwise, and is taken off the
shoots by insertion of a peculiar knife called a ' mama,' the separation
being assisted, if necessary, by strongly rubbing the bark with the
handle. The quills thus obtained are carefully put one into the other,
and the compound sticks thus formed are firmly bound together into
bundles, and are left for twenty-four hours, during which a heating or
fermenting process goes on, which facilitates the subsequent removal of
the corky layer. This is done by placing each quill on a stick of wood
of suitable thickness and carefully scraping off the outer and middle
cortical layers with a knife. After a few hours the operator places the
smaller quills within the larger, also inserting the small pieces so as to
make up an almost solid stick about 40 ins. in length. These sticks are
kept one day in the shade and then placed on wicker trays in the sun
to dry. When dry the sticks are arranged in bundles of about 30 Ib.
each.
"The cinnamon that comes into commerce from Ceylon occurs in
three forms, viz.: (1) The quills above described ; (2) the trimmings or
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cinnamon chips,' which are very aromatic; and (3) coarse bark as
much as an inch thick, the pieces of which are slightly curved longi-
tudinally, and are very deficient in aroma. This bark is derived from
old stools, when they are rooted up, and occurs only in small quantity.
The chips or trimmings, which have only been exported since 1867,
sometimes form nearly a third of the export of bark, and are used for
distilling oil of cinnamon, and are also probably powdered for use in
mixed spice.
" There are other commercial varieties of the bark, such as the .Tel-
licherry cinnamon, which is almost as good as the Ceylon product, and