NUTMEGS. 407 



There arc several species of insects which lay their eggs on the 

 leaves, and unless carefully watched and removed, they commit 

 great havoc amongst the trees. For this purpose it is necessary 

 to \\ush the leaves with a decoction of Tuba root, and syringe 

 them by means of a bamboo with lime and water, of the consistence 

 of whitewash ; this adheres to the leaves, and will remain even 

 after several heavy showers. 



Another nuisance is the nest of the large red ant ; these collect 

 and glue the leaves together, forming a cavity for the deposition 

 of their larva. The best mode of destroying them is to lumg a 

 portion of some animal substance, such as the entrails of a fowl, 

 fish, &c., to the end of a pole, thrust through and protruding 

 from the brandies ; the ants will run along the pole and collect 

 in immense quantities around the bait, when, by a lighted faggot, 

 they can be burned by thousands. This repeated once or twice 

 a day lor a week or so, will soon rid the tree of the invaders. 



The number of men to be kept on an estate to preserve it in 

 first-rate order after it has come into bearing, must depend of 

 course upon the size of the plantation, but in general one man for 

 every one hundred trees will be found sufficient, provided there 

 be some four or five thousand trees. On a small scale the pro- 

 portion must be greater. 



The nutmeg planter is under the necessity of keeping up 

 nurseries throughout the whole of his operations for the replace- 

 ment of bad plants and redundant males. Of the latter ten per 

 cent, seems to be about the best proportion to keep, but I would 

 have completely dioecious trees. No person can boast to get a 

 plantation completely filled up and in perfect order much sooner 

 than fifteen years. Of the first batch planted, not more than one- 

 half will turn out perfect females, for I do not take into account 

 monoecious trees, which I have already condemned. The tree 

 shows flower about the seventh year, but the longer it is before 

 doing so, the better and stronger will it be. I cannot refrain from a 

 smile when a sanguine planter informs me with exultation that lie 

 has obtained a nut from a tree only three or four years planted 

 out; so much the worse for his chance of. success, too great pre- 

 cocity being incompatible with strength and longevity. 



The best trees do riot show flower before the ninth year, and one 

 such is worth a score of the others. This will be evident when it 

 is stated that I have seen several trees yield more than 10,000 

 nuts each in one year, whereas I do not believe that there is a 

 plantation in the Straits' that averages 1,000 from every tree. This 

 very great disparity of bearing shows plainly that the cultivation 

 of the plant is not yet thoroughly understood, or greater uni- 

 formity would prevail, and I think it clearly enough points out 

 that a higher degree of cultivation would meet its reward. 



The tree has not been introduced into the Straits' sufficiently 

 long to determine its longevity, but those introduced and planted 

 in the beginning of the present century, as yet show no symptoms 

 of decay. The experiment of grafting the twos, which at first 



