NUTMEGS AND MACE 115 



like shade, but is objected to on account of the great 

 size it attains in a short time, and the brittleness of its 

 branches, which are apt to fall and damage the plants 

 beneath. The canary-nut, which is the main plant used 

 in Banda, is of rather slow growth. Eryihrina litho- 

 sperma, and other species, might be used in suitable 

 spots, but they are not usually very long lived, and 

 appear to be very attractive to lightning stroke. It 

 has been suggested that planting nutmegs along tracks 

 cut through the forest would be found satisfactory, and 

 would be well worth trying. This plan has proved very 

 successful with gutta-percha trees, which grow much 

 more easily in partial shade than in the open ; but this 

 plan is open to the objection that the trees and fruit 

 would suffer much from the depredation of deer, pigs, 

 monkeys, squirrels, and other animals which would be 

 difficult to keep in check if the forest was extensive. 



Lumsdaine deprecates the use of shade trees alto- 

 gether for nutmegs on the ground that they would 

 exclude sun-rays and dew, and would rob the soil of its 

 fertility. If the shade trees were too close and dense 

 they might, of course, shade out the nutmegs, but this 

 is easily obviated by lopping the excessive branches, 

 and so letting light in. It is very improbable that 

 they would interfere with the growth of the trees by 

 destroying the fertility of the soil. It is certain that 

 this is not the case in the Banda plantations. If 

 necessary, the shade trees could be so arranged as only 

 to cut off the hot rays of the sun during the middle of 

 the day and the afternoon, and allow the nutmegs to 

 have the full benefit of the morning sun. 



Besides preventing the injury to the trees by the 

 excessive heat, the shade trees would aid in breaking 

 up the soil, in forming humus, and in preventing injury 

 by high wind, to which nutmegs are very liable. In 

 Penang, where no shade trees are used, the Chinese 

 often find it necessary to erect screens to keep the 

 wind from injuring the plants. 



Weeding. In the Straits Settlements and Ceylon, 



