«PICES. THE NUTMEG. 



safety ill rating it at one-half of the total number. 

 Tin plantar H «1! also have to take accidents into the 

 account. The trees which have both male and female 

 blossoms cannot be much depended on, ami must of 

 necessity yield a leas quautin oj 'fruit than the female 

 trees, ami they appear to decrease in fertility in pro- 

 porti.m i 1 the increase ol \-hmulus in shape <rf manure. 

 It Is a remarkable fact that during tbe impreecd< nted 

 drought of four months in 18:52, during which only 

 4J inches of rain fell, many old nutmeg trees in Glu- 

 gro plantation, which had uev, r before been knowu to 

 exhibit other lltau male blossoms, were suddenly and 

 permanently it should .seem— transformed into ruo/idi- 

 cions trees and bore crops of fruit, while female trees 

 remained unchanged. A drought of such continuance 

 would not he thought extraordinary in many tropical 

 regions ; hut here, where there are frequent shower* 

 and heavy dews nearly throughout the year, the unmi- 

 tigated fervor of the suu's rays was fell severely. 

 The leaves of the spice tree fell olf and tin. fruit shri- 

 velled up, and by plentiful watering uloue were many 

 plantations saved. It may here he observed that arti- 

 ficial watering will not compensate fur aridity in the 

 atmosphere or insure a competent produce. Excepting 

 the luis of part of their leaves, the cine trees did not 

 suffer and they bore abundantly at the ensuing season; 

 but die nutmeg trees did uot quite .recover the shock 

 for a year. 



During this droug! it, numbers of tall fruit rr»-osJudi- 

 P'imtis to the climate, died, and in the Hat alluvial lands 

 of Province Wellesley patches of high forest trees be. 

 came sodissicated that they caught tire and were con- 

 sumed; "bile water could only be had by digging six- 

 try\t feet <leep. 



A moist otui )sphcrc appears essential towards the 

 pt i fueling of the nu tineg and mace. The male tree 



