In the first place the word “cinnamon” refers solely to the cinnamon zeylanicium plant of Ceylon, where it is found growing wild, and was first brot under cultivation by De Koke in 1770. Here again, as with cloves, mace, etc., the Dutch tried to monopolize the trade. The giving away of a plant was punishable by flogging and the destruction of a plant involved the penalty of death. The tree grows to the height of 20 or 30 ft., having a trunk 12 to 18 inches in diameter; the leaves are of a thick leathery texture, 4 to 6 inches long, very smooth and shining on the upper surface, glaucous with prominent netted veins on the under side, and are traversed by 3 or 5 ribs. The flowers are greenish-white and appear in clusters of threes. The fruit is an oval berry, not unlike an acorn in shape and color. The tree flowers in January and the fruit ripens in August. When the branches are peeled the finest sticks are said to be derived from the liber of the middle-sized branches, an inferior sort from the younger shoots, and that which is procured from the thickest branches is considered of little worth. The peeling commences in May and lasts until November. The shoots or branches, usually about ½-inch to ¾-inch in diameter and from 3 to 5 ft. long, are cut off with a curved pruning knife, tied up in bundles and carried to the peeling sheds. The bark is removed with a small, round-pointed knife, with a small projecting rib or cutter placed at right angles to the edge of the knife. With this knife the bark is split lengthwise of the stock. It is then carefully loosened from the wood for a short distance on either side of the slit. A similar incision is made on the opposite side and the bark is finally removed. The bark is then put in piles, covered with scrapings and matting and left for about two days, during which time a sort of fermentation takes place, which greatly facilitates the separation of the outer part of the bark from the cuticle and epidermis, which is carefully done by scraping with a small, curved knife, having a slightly serrated edge. This process is called piping. The piper sorts the bark as he scrapes it. He selects a slip suitable for the outer layer, about 3 ft. long, and packs within it 6 or 8 other pieces, all about the thickness of vellum paper--a mark which always distinguishes Ceylon cinnamon from cassia. They are then rolled up together and exposed to the sun to dry. It now resembles a tight roll of paper, the best quality being firm and compact, of a golden yellow color, smooth on both outer and inner surfaces. The cheaper grades are not so carefully made, having many short pieces in the pipes or quills and not so much attention is paid to obtain uniform size and color. At Colombo it is sorted into three kinds by government inspectors. The two finest kinds are exported, the third with the broken pieces being reserved for obtaining oil of cinnamon. It is formed in bales about 90 lbs. each and