FIELD NATURALISTS' CLUB. 301 



of Africa which has now become a British protectorate ; and in 

 consequence, the slaves who have hitherto cultivated the cloves 

 in Zanzibar Peraba are now being freed. The result is that the 

 price of cloves which is about 1/0 \ to 1/3 \ per &. just now, is 

 certain to rise soon while the demand like that for nutmegs is 

 ever on the increase. Probably cloves like nutmegs would be 

 very suitable for cultivation among coffee, but they require a 

 very well drained situation. " Clove trees may be grown either 

 " from seed or from layers. The seeds may be sown about 6" 

 " apart in shaded seed beds, and may be transplanted 16 

 " to 20' apart when about 9 months old. Layers will root 

 "in 5 to 6 months if a proper amount of moisture is 

 " maintained about them. The seedling tree begins to yield 

 " about the 6th year, layered plants about the 4th and the tree 

 " attains the height of about 20.' Cloves are the dried flower calixes 

 " which are borne in bunches at the end of the branches ; when 

 " ripe to gather, they are of a bright red color, and the crop 

 " season is October to December. The nearest clusters may be 

 " taken off with the hand, and the more distant by the aid of 



" crooked sticks the cloves are prepared for shipment by 



11 smoking them on hurdles over a slow fire till they turn brown, 

 " and the drying is afterwards finished in the sun. They are 

 " then cut off from the flower branches and will be found to be 

 " purple colored within, and fit to be baled for shipment." The 

 yield is about 6 lbs. per tree (in Zanzibar). From the way 

 in which cloves have to be gathered it is evident that the 

 same labor conditions as required for coffee are requisite. In 

 the Molucca Islands the trees are generally topped and kept 

 down to 8 tu 9 feet for convenience in gathering, but in Zanzibar, 

 the trees are allowed to gain their full height, the cloves being 

 picked from Bamboo ladders. The yield of both nutmegs and 

 cloves can be much improved by judicious manuring. 



Black Pepper, and Gambir (Uncaria Gambir) plants have 

 been introduced of late into the Colony ; and some time ago, 

 Mr. Meaden, at Chaguanas, shewed that the Black pepper 

 vine did fairly well on very bad land. But I can only mention 

 their introduction and growth here as an interesting fact 

 tending to support the probability of the success of Badiane, 

 for any extended cultivation of them here will have to meet in 

 competition the cheap Chinese labor of the Straits Settlements, 

 and that of the Butch Indies. Kola nuts and Tonka beans 

 have very uncertain features, and I do not recommend their 

 extensive cultivation. 



It must be remembered that the Cacao planter who wishes 

 to extend, or who wishes to put new land into Guarana, Badiane, 

 Coffee, .Nutmegs or Cloves, is saddled (in the absence of 

 contractors) with the sum of at least £7 10 per acre before he 



