304 NOTES ON ECONOMIC PLANTS. 



I have lately inspected tea cultivation on some estates in 

 Ceylon, and I see no good reason why its cultivation should 

 not betaken up freely in the Straits on selected soils and made 

 remunerative. 



SPICES. 



CLOVE [Caryophyllum aromaticum). — The Clove trees 

 raised from Singapore grown seed and planted in the Tanglin 

 Nursery look remarkably healthy, both in swampy ground and 

 on the hill sides. They could hardly succeed better anywhere 

 than they are doing. 



NUTMEG [Myristica fragrans). — Nutmegs planted in the 

 same Nurserv look very promising and seem as if prepared 

 to beo-in another cycle of satisfactory growth in the Settle- 

 ment. Their successful cultivation seems to depend on what 

 nearly all other crops depend on in the Straits, i. e., liberal 

 manuring. 



ALLSPICE {Pimento, vulgaris). — A plant of allspice raised 

 from seed some nine years ago is now about twelve feet in 

 height and is for the moment covered with blossom and small 

 fruit. 



GINGER [Zingiber officinale). — Ginger grows satisfactorily, 

 low prices only prevent its cultivation being freely developed. 

 It is, however,' an exhausting crop, soon wearing out the land 

 in which it is planted in the absence of liberal manuring. 



Chinese Ginger [Zingiber sp^r— Some plants of this spe- 

 cies, which produces the well-known preserved ginger of the 

 shops, were received during the year from the Royal Gardens 

 Kew." It has grown well, but shews no sign of flowering. 

 It is believed to be an entirely new species, but this cannot be 

 determined in the absence of flowers. 



PEPPER [Piper nigrum). — The cultivation of pepper is 

 being gradually taken up by Europeans. If present prices 

 (§41 per picuf for white) keep up, large areas will soon be 

 placed under pepper cultivation. 



