The genus Cinnamomum

190 M. Hasanah et al.
Figure 7.2 Harvesting of bark by peeling.
The extracted bark is then dried by spreading it on mats or wire netting either in
the sun or in partial shade. In some areas the harvested bark is heaped for a few days
and allowed to undergo fermentation. Then the bark is washed and dried. For preparing
higher quality quills the bark is tied around bamboo poles, and on drying such
bark assumes an attractive curved appearance (Dao et al., 1999). Rusli and Hamid
(1990) reported that from eight-year old trees about 14 t dry bark per hectare can be
achieved.
On drying, the bark curls into quills, and is then ready for marketing. The dried
quill is reddish brown in colour. The yield is highly variable. On an average a tree gives
about 3 kg of stem bark and 1.5 kg of branch bark. In a crop cycle of ten years the total
yield from 1 ha is about 2 t/ha of bark (Dao et al., 1999).
The dried bark is graded based on type (scraped, unscraped, quills, quillings, featherings,
chips), appearance (length, colour) and volatile oil. The Korintji and Padang
forms are graded by appearance into A, B, C and D types according to length, colour
and quality, and are sold on their content of essential oil. The following grades have
been recognised in the international trade circles for Korintji cassia: