lucked ought to be fully ripe, and after
being separated from the outer pulpy covering, should be dried in the
shade. They can be kept for two or three months in dry sand or ashes,
but must not be exposed to the sun, as they would split, and thus be
rendered useless.
The plants in nurseries must be well sheltered from the sun and heavy
rains, but the plants are strengthened by the covers being removed at
night when heavy rains are not expected to fall, and in the day time
when only light rains prevail. The mode of planting out, cultivation,
preparing the bark, &c., appears to be the same in Java as that
practised in Ceylon. The only difference is, that while in Ceylon the
cinnamon, when ready for market, is packed in "gunny" or canvass bags,
in Java it is put into boxes, made of wood free from any smell or
flavor which would injure the spice. The inferior cinnamon, however,
is packed in straw mats.
The following is a return of the extent of cinnamon culture in Java
:--
In 1840. In 1841.
Residencies in which cinnamon is cultivated 10 10
Number of plantations 48 49
" families devoted to this culture 7,901 9,688
" paid _budjans_ 294 345
Extent of ground occupied by the cultivation,
in _bahus_ of 71 decametres 1,690 1,880
--------- ---------
Cinnamon trees of which the bark can be taken 1,106,566 1,407,213
Young trees in the parks 2,478,427 2,565,774
For renewing 307,000 86,800
--------- ---------
Total 3,891,998 4,059,787
--------- ---------
Cinnamon crop, in Dutch lbs. 57,074 38,219
" refuse 23,283 82,803
The number of trees peeled in 1842 was taken at 1,824,599, and the
crop reckoned at 108,905 lbs.
In the residency of Bantam, four trees suffice to produce a pound of
cinnamon, whilst in the other residencies eleven trees must generally
be stripped to furnish the same quantity; in 1839 one pound could
scarcely be obtained from thirtee
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