The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1851-05-07
A Cinnamon Gnrdc,,

Inc EnSllshlnan sips his coffee,
ENJOYS sugar in his tea, and spices in
his pastry, wondering why such things
arc not cheaper; aud picturing Indi-
an planters as princes, in white calico
and straw hats, having little else to
10 than to smoke hookahs, drink
bran'ly-pawny and pocket their gains.
a trip to some of the coffee, sugar, or
cinnamon estates in Ceylon, would at
once dispcl the imaginary picture;
none of the articles we have mention.
cd grow indigenous and without trou.
bic. as visit to the Kaderani CHINA.
mon Gardens would show.
Before, however, we start for them.
it may be rs well to mention that the
aromatic spice called cinnamon, is tho
inner bark Of the la,rrus Cinnamon
IA beautiful tree, attaining the size,
and something the appearance of a
moderately large pear.trcc. TO pro.
d"ce line bark-such as is required
for purposes of commerce tree
must be felled, and the root forced to
grow III shoots, strai yh. and smooth.
These being cut when eighteen
months or two years old. fresh sup.
ply OF young sticks rapidly appear
after the first rains. A cinnamon
plantation, therefore, is in reality a
garden, and not forest.
The English Government possess
five cinnamon plantations in Ceylon,
containing ill the aggregate about
twelve thousand acres. These have
nearly all been sold to private indi.
vlduals, some of whom allow their cs-
tates to he very much neglected; 9TH
crs keep them in a state Of high cult
Eatiop. It ~ to on.43.,. tho 3aassgy, MS rs
.r,. .i.I.o. ~ =. ,t1''S5.
Inhloo lirn, IT Ackland, Boyd y Co.
that | am about to proceed. They
were agents for and part proprictors
of, soine three thousand acres of Gin
namon land, most of which lay at
Kadcrani, near Ncgombo, town
ahouut thirty miles distance from
Colombo, on the sea coast.
The whole Of the Ccylon coast is
low and sandy, and generally favor
able for the growth Of cinnamon,
which tlou,ishcs in a hot and damp
atmosphere, such as is there found.
10 get to Negolnbo, the most pleas
ant and least iatiyuing mode is by q
native covered canoe. along the old
Dutch canal, a small river which the
Dutch decpcncd, so as to admit Of
loaded boats passing at all times. A
passage canoe is as light as the trunk
OF mango.trco can be made by adj
Ing out the interior. Stretched at
full length on tho matted deck, I
watched the two boatmcn haul in
their little rush bag Of tobaccos. jag
gerry, anal hoppers Ca kind Of light
cakcs), and proceed to hoist the
cnormous sail, held in its place by
huge bamboons.
No sooner was this done, than the
little canoe bounded off as swiftly
and noistlcssly as deer; tho breeze
was fair, and the water smooth as a
mirror. If anything can transport
one in imagination to fairy land it is
to be waited al"n. IN T. ingalcsc ca
noe, with its beautitully.transparcnt
tall sail, floating ianntily amongst
groves Of wild, stranSclooliing trees,
which nearly always fringe the banks
Of tropical rivers; and, catch occa,
sl"nallv the gorgeous rays OF the sun
amidst the dark, clustering foliage.
The canal or river is rs winding as
a serpent, and in many places So mar
row. that the bamboo mast gave n
passing greeting to clusters of flow.
cring shrubs that blossomcd on the
cools banks.
The Lake Of the Ncsombo, a fine
sheet Of water, was soon crossed, and
landing at a little topr Of cocoa.nut
trees, | procured one Of the common
llock.hackcrics of the country, and
made the best Of my way to the gar
deus.
\ first glance at The cinnamon
plantations at Kadcrani showed that
drainage had been well seen to-
This is II very important matter; for,
although heat and moisture arc both
essential to the full development of
the spice, stagnant water INJURIES its
favour. The natives pny but little
attention to this. nor to removing the
!yonny sticks before the bark thickcns
too mnch; hence the marked inferior.
ity Of all native. grown cinnamon.
Arrived at the supcrintcndent's
bungalow, n breakfast of fsl, eggs,
and curry was soon served up. and
flushed. with q bottlo of Allson's