s83 Plantation ef tht Clove-Tiff. 



the pimento tree profpers bed in thofe (lerile foils where trees wliofe wood is of a hard 

 texture abound, and that fugar cannot be cultivated to advantage in fuch places; and 

 alfo, on the otiicr hand, that where trees whofe wood is foft are naturally found, pimento 

 trees are rarely met with, and fugar plantations will fucceed. 



Mr Buec obferves, that in the Well Indies, particularly in Dominica, moft lands facing 

 the caft are of a ycllowiflj or reddiOi (lifFclay ; a foil which, with few exceptions, is hardly 

 fit for any cidtivation, but is productive of the liatd wood trees. Partly by the obfcrvation 

 of incidents which prefented themfclves, and partly from a rational procefs of invefligation 

 of the fubjeft, the author has applied thcfe facls to the clove-tree, which is of a hard clofe 

 grain, though not fo tough as the pimento. In the Moluccas, where the clove-trees grow, 

 the ground is covered with them, and will not admit the culture of any thing clfe. It was 

 not, however, till after a number of experiments, during a feries of years, that he arrived 

 at the poflefTion of feveral bearing clove-trees. The hiftorical account of his proceedings 

 with regard to the bell method of planting the tree, and of rendering the cloves merchant- 

 able, is intelligent and clear. For this, however, I mull refer the reader to the work itfelf. 

 Mr. Buee has alfo fuccecded in propagating the cinnamon-tree, of which he pofleiTes a 

 great number, and promifes to make it the fubjcdl of his future remarks. 



Thefe obfervatlons, to ufe the words of Sir Jofeph Banks, open to the cultivators of 

 hot climates a new fource of wealth, which will not probably be confined to the growth of 

 cloves. Other fpices may alfo profper bed in the barren foils of the Weft Indies, as la- 

 vender, thyme, and other aromatic plants are known to do in thofe of Kuiopc. 



Befides the letter of Sir Jofeph Banks, the Appendix contains a lift of the ufeful plants 

 cultivated in the Royal Gardens at the Ifle of France in 1790; and a letter from Mr. 

 Rutton of Charing-Crofs, expreffing the uniform opinion of feveral eminent grocers, that 

 certain famples of Mr. Buee's cloves, forwarded to the Council by Sir Jofeph, will anfwer 

 every culinary purpofe as weU as thofe of the Spice Illands in the Eaft Indies. 



