CLOVES. 



99 



grown almost wherever the climate is suitable. Its culture 

 is extremely easy, requiring no more attention than a pear- 

 tree, which it very much resembles ; the trunk rises from 

 fifteen to twenty feet, branching out horizontally about four 

 or five feet from the ground. 



The clove-tree is remarkably handsome, being evergreen, 

 and the beautiful pink buds and flowers are produced in 

 great profusion, in short terminal panicles of from nine to 

 fifteen or eighteen on each bunch ; the pedicels divide into 

 threes, and are articulated, or jointed ; this very much faci- 

 litates the falling off of the bud when the gatherers beat the 

 trees with wands or reeds. They are either procured in this 

 way or gathered by hand, after which they are dried in the 

 sun or by fire ; this latter method is only employed in unfa- 

 vourable seasons, as it injures the flavour. 



The average produce of a clove-tree in Amboyna is two 

 or two and a half pounds per annum ; the first tree however 

 which was planted by the French in the Mauritius was seen 

 by M. Bory de St. Vincent in 1769 covered with cloves, 

 who ascertained that it occasionally had produced the enor- 

 mous quantity of 125 lbs. As it requires 5000 cloves to 

 weigh one pound, there must have been upw^ards of 625,000 

 flowers on this fine tree, which was forty feet in height. 



