The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-05-03


for three years. At the end of this pc
Rod, if trees have made satisfactory
growth (Which they will do, in even
the whitest sand, sand-soaked" soils,
"fat-woods," "pine- barrens," or "hard-
pan" lands), they are cut to the ground
and the bark by a simple process stripped
from the branches. The stocks sprout
like willow, and succeeding years sup
ply better bark from the rank water
sprouts. The tree is perfectly hardy
and at home in Florida; can be prob
ably grown all along the Gulf Coast re-
gion. We have grown for planting
about 10000 pot-grown plants, and in"
vite attention of planters to this really
"good thing" There should be hand
some profits in the business, conducted
on a sensible plan. We quote from a
recent government report of the Direct
for of Botanical Department of Jamaica:
'"The Cinnamon tree (Cmnamomum
Zeylanicum) is a native of the East Indies;
it is usually of small size, having leaves
with three to five strong nerves, and
small yellowish flowers.
"The best kind of Cinnamon bark comes
from Ceylon, where it is grown near Co.
lombO from the sea-coast upto an eleva-
ton OF /, 5OOfeet.
"Soil.-A sandy soil is generally pre-
ferred, but red and chocolate-colored soils
are also utilized when free from gravel
and rock.
"Cultivation.-The seedlings, three
months old, are planted out eight or ten
feet apart. After two or three years the
young trees should be cut down to about
six inches above ground; and the garden
is treated similarly to an Oak-cOppice in
England.
''Harvesting and Curing From thestocks
or stools four to five shoots are allowed
to grow. These shoots usually come to
perfection at the age Of from eighteen
months to two years, when they are be-
ginning to turn brown on their surface
from the greenish epidermis becoming re-
placed by the production of corky layer
OfIbark. Such shoots, which arecOmmOnly
from six to ter feet high, and from one
half to two inches thick, are then cut it.
by a long sickle-shaped knife, called a cat
ty. striped OF their leaves, and trimmed
with knife, the little pieces which are
removed being kept and sold as CHINA
mon chips. The peeling is then effected
by cutting through the bark transversely
at distances of about foot, and by
making two opposite, OrWhere the branch
is thick, three or four longitudinal in
cisions to connect the transverse ones,
and the bark is then readily removed by
introducing the peelng knife, termed
mama, beneath it. The pieces OF bark
are then placed one within the other, and
the compound sticks thus produced are
bound together into bundles. These are
usually left for about tWenty-fOur hours
when the two external layers of bark are
carefully removed by scraping; for which
purpose each quill is placed on piece of
wood of the required thickness. In
few hours the quilts are introduced into
the larger ones, and in this way cOngeries
of quilts are formed which generally
measure about forty inches in length.
The bark is then kept one day in the
shade, after which it is placed on wicker.
trays and dried in the sun; and finally it
is made up into bundles weighing on an
averageabout thirty pounds each Car e
is taken to fill up each pipe or cOngeries
of quills with the same kind Of bark as
that which is outside, and as few joints
are placed in each pipe as possible. The
finest pipes are usually we'll filed as the
preservation of the odor and flavor is
very much assisted by the exclusion OF
the air.'-Bentley 4 Trimen.
"The peeling process should be done
during the wettest seasons of the year,
when the bark comes off easily. The
bark peeled from the middle of the shoot
is considered the best kind. A second
quality is the bark at the end of the shoot
and a third from the base. It is advis