SPICES. 351 



plant. This oil is extremely pungent, and is one of 

 the few essential oils which is specifically heavier 

 than water. It is usually procured by'distillation, but 

 when the cloves are newly gathered it may be obtained 

 by pressure. A part is often so taken, and the cloves, 

 which are thereby rendered of little value, are fraud- 

 ulently mixed with sound ones ; but the robbed cloves 

 are easily detected by their pale colour, shrivelled 

 appearance, and want of flavour. 



The pungent and aromatic virtues of the clove 

 reside in this essential oil, combined with the resinous 

 matter of the spice ; but it does not appear that these 

 qualities are absolutely necessary to the growth or 

 fructification of the tree. To give to this its greatest 

 value, it must, however, be cultivated in a situation 

 where they can be elaborated in the greatest quantity. 

 Its profitable growth is therefore limited to a very 

 narrow range of temperature and climate ; as the 

 clove loses its flavour if the situation be too moist or 

 too dry, too near the sea, or too much elevated above 

 its level. Though the tree be found in the larger 

 islands of Eastern Asia and in Cochin China, it has 

 there little or no flavour. The Moluccas seem to be 

 the only places where the clove comes to perfection 

 without cultivation. 



This tree is so great an absorbent of moisture that 

 no herbage will grow under its branches ; while the 

 cloves, when gathered, if placed in a heap near a 

 vessel of water, are found very much to have in- 

 creased their weight at the end of only a feiv hours, 

 in consequence of the large portion of water which 

 they have attracted and imbibed. It is said that both 

 the grower and trader in cloves avail themselves of 

 the knowledge of this fact, and since this spice is 

 always sold by weight, thus give a factitious value to 

 their goods. 



