NUTMEGS. 409 



it for a couple of months to the smoke of slow fires kept up un- 

 derneath, whilst the nuts are spread on a grating about eight or 

 ten feet above. The model of a perfect drying-house is easily to 

 be obtained. Care should be taken not to dry the nuts by too 

 great a heat, as they shrivel and lose their full and marketable 

 appearance. It is therefore desirable to keep the nuts, when 

 first collected, for eight or ten days out of the drying-house, ex- 

 posing them at first for an hour or so to the morning sun, and 

 increasing the exposure daily until they shake in the shell. The 

 nuts ought never to be cracked until required for exportation, 

 or they will be attacked and destroyed by a small weasel-like 

 insect, the larvae of which is deposited in the ovule, and, becoming 

 the perfect insect, eats its way out, leaving the nut bored through 

 and through, and worth less as a marketable commodity. Liming 

 the nuts prevents this to a certain extent, but limed nuts are not 

 those best liked in the English market, whereas they are preferred 

 in that state in the United States When the nuts are to be 

 limed, it is simply necessary to have them well rubbed over 

 between the hands with powdered lime. By the Dutch mode of 

 preparation, they are steeped in a mixture of lime and water for 

 several weeks. This no doubt will preserve them, but it must 

 also have a prejudicial effect on the flavor of the spice. 



After the nuts are thoroughly dried, which requires from six 

 weeks to two months smoking, they cannot be too soon sent to 

 market. But it is otherwise with the mace ; that commodity, 

 when fresh, not being in esteem in the London market, seeing 

 that they desire it of a golden color, which it only assumes after 

 a few months, whereas at first when fresh it is blood red ; now 

 red blades are looked upon with suspicion, and are highly in- 

 jurious to the sale of the article. 



This is one of those peculiar prejudices of John Bull, which 

 somewhat impugns his wisdom ; but it must be attended to, as 

 John is very ready to pay for his caprice ; therefore those who 

 provide for him have no right to complain, although they may 

 smile. 



The nutmeg tree was sent from Bencoolen to Singapore, the 

 latter end of 1819, so that thirty-four years have elapsed since its 

 first introduction. Sir Stamford Haffles shipped to the care of the 

 resident commandant, Major Farquhar, 100 nutmeg plants, 25 

 larger ditto, and 1,000 nutmeg seeds, which were committed to the 

 charge of Mr. Brook's, a European gardener, who was specially 

 engaged by the East India Company to look after their embr} r o 

 spice plantations here. Some of these plants were set out in 

 rather a bad soil and locality, but several of them are at present, 

 and have been for the last ten years, fine fruitful trees. 315 of 

 the trees in the Government garden yielded, in 1848, 190,426 

 nuts, or at the average of 604 for each tree ; but of these not over 

 50 were of the old stock, most having been planted since 1836 ; 

 so that a planter may safely calculate on having a better average 

 than is here set forth, provided he attends to his cultivation, and 



