180 SPICES 



CHAP. 



ment which they apparently appreciated. From twenty to 

 forty pickers were employed, and two overseers at R.14 a 

 month each. 



In all 520 fraslas were obtained from the 950 trees, an 

 average of 19f Ibs. of cloves per tree, and a return, after 

 paying export duty of 25 per cent, of K.1,965. Add K.38 for 

 43 fraslas stems, and the gross returns are E.2,003. 



From this total there are several charges to be deducted: 

 8 pice per bag for cloves and 5 pice for stems, amounting to 

 K.29, were paid for conveyance to the beach on donkeys, and 

 R.76-0-0 for freight to Zanzibar, landing charges, sorting 

 charges, import declaration, and scale fees : 



520 fraslas cloves . . . .1,965 

 43 fraslas steins , 38 



Total .... 2,003 



Two overseers, four months . . . 112 



Picking 528 fraslas .... 466 



Conveyance to beach . . . . 25 



Freight, etc 76 



Balance profit 1,324 



Total .... R.2,003 



Balance profit . . R.I, 324 



Thus the purchase money of the shamba, R.1,287, was more 

 than recovered the first year. After paying for digging the 

 shamba (100), baskets, bags, drying mats, bakshish to overseers, 

 etc., the year's profit was reduced to about R. 1,000. The former 

 owner used to make R.200 to R.400 a year out of this shamba, 

 and Arabs now attribute these good results to " the blessing of 

 God," though the Canon thinks that they may be accounted 

 for largely by the fact of his having dug the shamba over. 



It would be misleading to generalise from these results, 

 because doubtless Canon Key had much in his favour : proximity 

 to a large village and a comparatively large supply of labour, 

 a good shamba, and a prolific season. The record is that of a 

 prosperous year, and stands as such for what it is worth. Still, 

 in our opinion it is worth much. The bad years that now and 

 then occur in clove plantations, and which have contributed to 

 their disparagement, may be accounted for by the habit of the 

 clove trees and vicissitudes of seasons, but they may be also 

 due to improper cultivation, or, at any rate, partly so. If clove 

 trees will yield so roundly after years of casual management 



