,H6 



KIMCEP. TFH* NtTMR*. 



here, I have observed, are invariably more precocious 

 than tbc i t males. The planter will often therefore he 

 mortified to find here and there a continuous row of 

 hi* u if st luxuriant and hopeful ymn^ lues, on which 

 lie bad Ihcii wont to look with pride, Midden iy 

 put forlJi the obnoxious Mini unprofitable blossom. The 

 remedies lor tins evil promised by Dr Lumsdaiue of 

 either "Taflin;*- cm inarching on male sticks to obtain 

 monoecious trees, or of setting- the plants in :i nursery 

 at four feet distance and forcing them, by lifting l hem 

 irequeuth out of their bed, to shew their sex, are per- 

 haps too problematical to be attempted at lii^t on a 

 large scale, yet they should be made on a small one 1 

 have, however, of late noted a valuable peculiarity in 

 this tree. Many young trees, when they first came in- 

 to flower exhibited male blossoms only, But ahV-r 

 these had ?>eenshcd. and a few months had elapsed, a 

 new crop of female blossoms apfieared. When two 

 successive crop of male nowers appear, the ease is 

 rather doubtful, yet not hopeless. 



The nutmeg tree fruits on Peuang alanit the seventh 

 vear. but very rarely about (he sixth, follow hi g there, 

 by a rule of nature which is applicable, with hut very 

 few exceptions, to all the indigenous fruit trees in this 

 part of the world. At Bencoolen they are in a full 

 state of productiveness about the fifteenth \ear. A 

 rapid approach to productiveness by no means indi- 

 cates permanent vigor. In the Moluccas, as it is said, 

 the nutmeg trees do not often bear till the ninth year. 

 They then gu on there increasing in productiveness 

 up to their eightieth year, after which they gradually 

 decline miring nearly an equal period. Pear and 

 apple trees in Rutland have been knoM u to attain 

 (he age. of nine hundred years. 



The observation of Dr. Lurnsdaine respecting the 

 quantity of produce welded by nutmeg trees at Ben- 



