CLOVES. 397 



Bahamas. It was found, upon adulteration with hops, to reduce 

 the cost of that article, and for the encouragement of the hop 

 grower a prohibitory impost was laid upon it by the Home 

 Government, consequently it became an unsaleable product. 



The sea-side balsam, or sweet wood (Groton Meuteria), from 

 which some cascarilla bark is obtained, grows in the Bahama Islands 

 and Jamaica, but almost all the bark imported comes from 

 Nassau, JNew Providence. In 1840, 15,000 Ibs. were imported 

 for home consumption. 



This bark produces the combined effect of an aromatic and of a 

 moderately powerful tonic ; but it does not possess any astriiigency. 

 It has been employed as a substitute for cinchona. When burned 

 it gives out a musky odor, and is often used in pastiles. 



The value of this bark ranges, according to quality, from 17s. 6d. 

 to 43s. per cvvt. 



CLOVES. 



THE cloves of commerce are obtained from the flower buds of 

 Cart/ophyllus aromaticus (Eugenia caryophyllata), which was 

 originally a native of the Moluccas, but is now cultivated in 

 several parts of the East and West Indies. They have the form 

 of a nail, and when examined are seen to consist of the tubular 

 calyx with a roundish projection, formed by the unopened petals. 

 It is a very handsome tree, growing to the height of about twenty 

 feet. The trunk is straight, and rises four or five feet before it 

 throws out branches. The bark is smooth, thin, of a grey color, 

 and the wood of the trunk too hard for ordinary cabinet work. 



The leaves are opposite, smooth, narrow, pointed, of a rupous 

 color above, and green on the under side. They have a very 

 aromatic odor when bruised between the fingers. The flowers 

 produced in branched peduncles, at the extremity of the bough, 

 are of a delicate peach color. The elongated calyx, forming the 

 seed vessel, first changes to yellow, and, when ripe, red, which is from 

 October to December, and in this state it is fit to gather. If left 

 for a few weeks longer on the trees, they expand, and become 

 what are termed "mother cloves," fit only for seed or for candy- 

 ing. The ground under the tree is first swept clean, or else a 

 mat or cloth is spread. The nearest clusters are taken off with 

 the hand, and the more distant by the aid of crooked sticks. Great 

 care should be taken not to injure the tree, as it would prevent 

 future bearing. 



The cloves are then prepared for shipment by smoking them 

 on hurdles near a slow wood fire, to give them a brown color, after 

 which they are further dried in the sun. They may then be cut 

 off from the flower branches with the nails, and will be found to 

 be purple colored within, and fit to be baled for the European 

 market. In some places they are scalded in hot water before 

 being smoked, but this is not common. The tree may be pro- 



