gin to yield in about five years after 

 planting. The picking of the imma- 

 ture flowers with the red calyx is be- 

 gun in August and lasts for about four 

 months. From two to four crops are 

 harvested each year. Each bud may 

 be picked singly by hand, but those 

 of the higher branches are more 

 generally knocked off by means of 

 bamboo sticks. After picking the 

 flowers are placed upon grass mats and 

 dried in the sun, this requiring from six 

 to seven days. In the night and dur- 

 ing rains they are placed under cover. 

 Drying changes the red color of the 

 calyx to a dark brown. The dried 

 cloves are packed in gunny bags and 

 carried to Zanzibar where an internal 

 revenue of 25 per cent, is paid in 

 cloves. From Zanzibar the cloves are 

 exported in mat bags. 



We know that cloves were used by 

 the ancient Egyptians, for a mummy 

 has been found with a necklace of 

 them. The Chinese used them exten- 

 sively, 226 B.C. Plinius briefly de- 

 scribed "Caryophyllon," which, accord- 

 ing to some commentators, referred to 

 cloves and according to others to cu- 

 bebs. Cloves appeared in Europe 

 about 314-335 A. D., evidently intro- 

 duced by way of Arabia. Emperor 

 Constantine, who ruled about that time 

 made Pope Sylvester of Rome, among 

 other things, a present of 150 pounds 

 of cloves. In Grecian literature cloves 

 are first mentioned about the Sixth 

 century. Trallianus recommended 

 them in stomach troubles and in gout. 



The Germans designate cloves as 

 Gewurztidgelei?i, which means spice 

 nails, because of their resemblance to 

 a nail, the corolla forming the head 

 and the calyx tube the nail. The aro- 

 matic odor and pungent aromatic taste 

 is due to an etherial oil present in large 

 quantities (18 per cent.) in the calyx 

 tube. This oil is used for various pur- 

 poses; as a clearing reagent in micro- 

 technique, for toothache, as an antisep- 

 tic, stomachic, irritant. It destroys in- 

 sects and keeps them away. When 

 freshly extracted its color is pale am- 

 ber but it gradually assumes a reddish 

 brown coloration. It is one of the least 

 volatileof ethereal or essential oils. It is 

 also used by soapmakers and perfumers. 



Cloves are variously used as a spice. 

 They are often stuck into pickled fruits, 

 as peaches, apples, apricots. The 

 opening quotation from Shakespeare 

 suggests such a use with lemons. 

 Some persons acquire an inelegant 

 and undesirable habit of chewing 

 cloves. The pungent oil deadens or 

 benumbs the nerves of taste and touch 

 and the persistent mastication of 

 cloves, is said to produce an excessive 

 development of fibrous tissue of the 

 liver, a condition akin to "nutmeg 

 liver" which shall be referred to in our 

 next paper. 



Other parts of the clove tree are also 

 used occasionally, as for instance the 

 flower stalks known as clove stalks. 

 They possess the odor and taste of 

 cloves but in a lesser degree. Formerly 

 the leaves were also used but it is said 

 that they do not now appear in com- 

 merce. The dried fruit known as 

 mother of cloves is used more or less. 

 They contain far less oil than cloves 

 and are comparatively less valuable. 

 Even the wood of the tree has been 

 used as a spice. The dried and ground 

 flower stalk, the fruits and the wood 

 are often used to adulterate ground 

 cloves. We would therefore advise 

 housewives to purchase the cloves and 

 grind them at home. It is reported 

 that cloves have been adulterated with 

 false cloves made from starch pressed 

 into the form of cloves and roasted. 

 It is, however, not at all likely that such 

 a practice is carried on to any great 

 extent. Sometimes cloves are placed 

 on the market from which the oil has 

 been extracted. 



The cultivated cloves are richer in 

 essential oil than the native cloves. 

 The Zanzibar cloves are quite large. 

 The principal market varieties are 

 English cloves, Amboine cloves, Bour- 

 bon cloves, Cayenne cloves, Zanzibar 

 cloves, and others. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE. 



A, flowering branch, nearly natural 

 size; i, floral bud; 2, floral bud in 

 longitudinal section; 3, stamens; 4, 

 pollen grains; 5, ovary in transverse 

 section; 6, fruit, about natural size; 7, 

 fruit in transverse section; 8, embryo; 

 9, part of embryo. 



