182 SPICES 



CHAP. 



otherwise the tree in time will grow to wood, and only bear on 

 the sides and the top. 



My own shamba I cleaned once before last clove season. 

 Leaves and grass were dug in for manure, and the rain was 

 able to soak into the ground, instead of running off the top. 

 Nothing nourishes under cloves, as the small roots spread out 

 like a net on the top of the soil ; the trees would probably be 

 the better for their being cut. The shamba next to mine I 

 foolishly offered to pick ; but the cloves were small, and many 

 dropped off before becoming mature, which made difficult work 

 for the pickers. We made E.I 00, but lost more by being com- 

 pelled to neglect our own shamba. Clove trees seem to die in 

 some parts of the shamba, from some cause I do not know. I 

 have noticed that trees on the outside of a plantation suffer 

 most. [May not this be due to the outside trees receiving the 

 brunt of the sun's rays, while the inside trees shade one another ? 

 Ed., Tropical Agriculturist.] Many, too, have died in the valley 

 from want of drainage. But most trees have recovered in a 

 wonderful way. Arabs talk of the crop this year as half of 

 that of last, but I hope to make two-thirds, as our shamba is 

 doing well ("Shamba," Tropical Agriculturist, January 1, 1900, 

 p. 450). 



REPORT OF THE AGRICULTURAL DEPARTMENT, ZANZIBAR 



Marseilles Shamba. In addition to the Dunga plantation, 

 which this year came under our management, we have had 

 charge of two of H.H. the Sultan's shambas at Machui 

 Marseilles and Kitumba. The former is situated on the second 

 range of hills which runs longitudinally through the island. 

 The soil is a brick-red mixture of sand and clay, which gets 

 very hard in dry weather. It is, however, superior in quality 

 to the corresponding outcrop on the Masingini range of hills to 

 the westward. Kitumba is in the low alluvial district of that 

 name, which spreads out to the eastward of the Machui range. 

 The soil is generally a red loam, overlying clay. As these two 

 shambas adjoin and were as far as possible worked together, 

 they may be counted as one. 



Cost of Clove Picking. Clove picking began in Zanzibar in 

 the latter end of October. At Machui we departed from the 

 usual method of picking, and instituted a system of payment 

 whereby we could ascertain the total cost of clove-gathering. 

 The shamba people who, according to the new sheria, should 

 have given their labour four days in the week, were paid for 

 each operation. Under these circumstances picking proceeded 

 from the first more briskly with us than with our neighbours, 



