in 



NUTMEGS AND MACE 



143 



PRICES 



Warburg, in Die Muskatnuss, gives a series of 

 very interesting tables showing the prices of nutmeg 

 and mace in different countries from the earliest times 

 of which there is any record. 



In England a pound of nutmegs cost in 1310, 3s., and 

 mace as much as 7s., and the spices kept about this price 

 till 1623. When the Dutch monopolised the spice 

 trade, nutmegs cost in England from 9s. to 19s. (in 

 1805) and mace from 30s. to 90s. in 1806. With the 

 breaking down of the Dutch monopoly they fell from 

 5s. a pound for nutmegs and 8s. for mace in 1805 to 

 from 9s. to Is. 3fd. for nutmegs, and Is. 4d. for mace 

 in 1865. In 1874 and 1875 nutmegs fetched 2s. 8d. to 

 2s. 6d. a pound, but has been steadily declining ever 

 since, except for a few large fluctuations. The average 

 price of nutmegs now is about half what it was in 1898, 

 or rather less. Thus 80s. limed are quoted at 6|d. and 

 110s. limed at 4-^d. in 1909 ; mace Is. 8d. to 2s. 4d. a 

 pound, Penang mace being rather higher than Java. 



This fall in price cannot be entirely due to over- 

 production, as the exports from the Dutch East Indies 

 show no great increase for that period. These are as 

 follows : 



1898-1899 . 1889-772 kilos 



1899-1900 . 2670-431 



1900-1901 . 2861-518 



1901-1902 2391-072 , 



1902-1903 . 2840-304 kilos 



1903-1904 . 2686-399 



1904-1905 . 3389-804 



1905-1906 2793-090 , 



The Dutch East Indies are the principal producers 

 of the spice, and there has not been any great increase 

 in output in Penang (which, indeed, is rather declining) 

 to account for the fall in price. It is suggested that 

 the fall in value is due to a smaller demand consequent 

 on a decreased consumption per capita. 1 



There is, I think, a tendency in Europe to use less 

 spice for flavouring in everything in the way of 



1 Spice-Mill, 1908, p. 749, from the Indische Mercuur, quoted in Agricultural 

 News, 1910. 



