IV 



CLOVES 181 



and two years of extreme drought, what may not be expected 

 from them if properly cared for ? 



An interesting comparison may be drawn from the results 

 at Kizimbani, and those at Machui, as published by the Report 

 of the Agricultural Department for last year : 



Kizimbani. Machui. 



1. Yield per tree Ib 1925 6 



2. Cost of picking and delivering per R.l-4, 3-10 R.1-5J 



frasla 



3. Return per frasla net ... R.2-7 R.3-4 



4. Return per tree net . . . . R.l-5, 3-5 R.O-9J 



5. Approximate price obtained per frasla R.4-15, 1-5 R.6-3, 9-10 



(less duty and disregarding stems). 



The comparison is, on the whole, distinctly in favour of 

 Kizimbani, even when allowance is made for the fact that at 

 Machui a quarter of the crop was abandoned for want of labour. 

 The large quantity of cloves to handle at Machui made it 

 necessary to employ a staff of spreaders, while at Kizimbani 

 this work was done by the pickers at no extra cost. In 

 calculating the yield and return per tree the good and bad 

 trees are all counted together at Machui, but at Kizimbani the 

 unproductive trees have been neglected. 



Still, when all these deductions have been allowed for, the 

 superiority of the Pemba trees remains very evident. They 

 date from prehurricane days, and are therefore older and larger, 

 and the soil at Weti is stronger than at Machui. 



Canon Key concludes his Report by some very interesting 

 remarks, which we append : 



Clove Culture. The Arabs plant 6 or 7 trees together; 

 these often unite in a wonderful way, and form one tree, but 

 knowing that several trees were planted together, you can see 

 how and where they join, and the numerous branches, each 

 " tree " having the same number as a single tree would have. 

 In a shamba of young cloves that I bought I rooted out all 

 except one, with the result that the young trees have gained 

 strength. 



Pruning. I have found that many trees have overgrown 

 their strength, hence reducing their branches has added to the 

 strength of the rest of the tree. We made a mistake in the 

 first instance in cutting away the middle branches, which, of 

 course, cannot bear many cloves, but this divided the tree, 

 making it difficult to climb. Lateral branches are wanted in 

 clove trees ; the upward-growing branches should be cut off, 



