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Economic Society, of the Agricultural Society, and of the Natural 

 History Museum in Paris. Born on the lie de France in 1737, 

 he came of an Italian family of ancient nobility, settled in France 

 since the 14th century, his father being a naval officer com- 

 manding the harbour. 



Young Cere also started his career m the Navy, and after two 

 campaigns, settled in the lie de France, where he had meanwhile 

 inherited considerable property from his father. Soon after his 

 arrival he met Poivre, who was greatly taken with the serious and 

 high-minded young man, who showed such a pronounced taste 

 for botany — and so the foundation for a life-long friendship and 

 co-operation was laid. 



Cere's financial independence enabled them to overcome the 

 opposition of the " Intendant " of those days. He did not 

 hesitate to emulate his friend and master in sacrificing his private 

 fortune to carry out important improvements in the Garden. 



The growth and flowering of the first spice plants of the 

 Gardens were followed in France with close attention, and 

 announced as great events. 



Albert Pitot, in his " Sketches/' states that the first clove 

 flowered in 1775, and the first fruit that had set was solemnly 

 picked by Cere in the presence of the authorities, and sent home 

 to France by Chevalier de Ternav, as a humble gift to His 

 Majesty. Two years later the clove bore a large crop. The 

 nutmegs were longer in maturing. The first flower appeared 

 in March, 1778, the first fruit being once more solemnly picked in 

 December, and despatched to the King. 



Cere's merit was recognised in spite of all opposition, and in 

 1775 he was appointed Director of the Royal Garden. 



Here he effected great improvements, and carried out many 

 useful works at his own expense. Pepper trees, cinnamon, cloven 

 and nutmegs soon increased largely, and seedlings were dis- 

 tributed among the inhabitants of the two islands. This 

 experiment was so successful that a few years later a private 

 citizen reaped 28,000 cloves, and M. Hubert, at Bourbon, had in 

 1782, a plantation of 8000 clove shrubs. 



M. Cere extended his patriotic benefactions even further, 

 sending cases of plants from his nurseries to the Trench Colonies 



of America. 



The traveller Melon, who landed on the Island in 1786, after 

 visiting Europe, Egypt and Asia, recorded his impressions of 

 Mon Plaisir as one of the marvels of the world, the climate 

 of the Island permitting the culture of the products of all parts 

 of the globe. There were over 6000 kinds of trees and shrubs 

 from different continents, some of which plants had not yet 



reached perfection. 



Hospitality was extended by Cere to many well-known men, 

 such as Suffren, d'Entrecasteaux, Booz, Commerson, Stadtmann, 

 and others, who came to him with introductions. Among them 

 was the botanist Du Petit-Thouars, whose brother commanded the 

 vessel sent to find Laperouse, and who. on his arrival at the 

 Island in 1793, learnt that the vessel had been lost with all his 

 private fortune. Cere proved his sympathy in keeping M, Du 



