NUTMEGS AND PIMENTO. 105 



the hilly or mountainous portions of the colony, or in districts 

 with a mean annual rainfall of less than 60 to 70 inches. 



With regard to the preparation of the produce for the market, 

 the nuts, after being thoroughly dried in the sun, cannot be too 

 soon sent to the market. But with the mace (the aril of the 

 nutmeg) it is otherwise. The latter must be kept until it has 

 assumed a rich golden colour, which it does only after a lapse 

 of several months. Eed blades, that is, fresh mace, are looked 

 upon with suspicion, and seriously affect the sale of the produce. 



With regard to the yield from nutmeg-trees established 

 under favourable circumstances, in Jamaica, trees at six years 

 old give a return of about 1,500 to 2,000 nutmegs per annum. 

 With trees say at 30 feet apart, and allowing one- third to be 

 male or barren .trees, this would give a return of 1,500 x 30 

 = 45,000 nutmegs per acre. 



Taking an average of 90 nutmegs to the lb., the return 

 in cash value would, be 500 Ibs. of nutmegs, at, say, 2s. per lb., 

 equal to 50 per acre. 



In the Botanic Gardens, Trinidad, the yield per tree, net, in 

 the market has been over 20 Ibs. (at 90 to the lb. this would 

 be 1,800 nutmegs), with an average price of 2s. 2d. per lb. 

 during the year. The value here per acre is at the rate of 60 

 per annum. 



In both the above instances, it is only fair to mention that 

 the calculations have been based on a comparatively small 

 number of trees. The average yield over a large area, of say 

 40, 50, or 100 acres, would be correspondingly lower, but, even 

 under any circumstances, it is evident that where suitable 'and 

 favourable circumstances exist, as I believe they do in British 

 Honduras, a nutmeg plantation is likely to be a very successful 

 and remunerative undertaking. 



Pimento. Trees of this well-known spice plant, as already 



