SPICE S — T III" C I .Q V l'j h . 



30 



ami on the tops, slopes and ridges of hills — mi\ few 

 straggling trees are to found as yet in frrtmuefl 

 Vf elle.sley. Peuautr cloves are deemed fust-rate in the 

 English market. Since 1K2L the cultivation of the 

 clove has rupidh advanced, an additional uumlcr of 

 about 60,000 having h v cw planted. 



A clove plantation m B©1 in/'i sti ff In nude trees like 

 one of nutmeg trees; every tree bears — although some 

 lives vield mure fruit than others, it is rather a capri- 

 .11 ms tree and it is seldom that ail the trees in a plan- 

 tation bear at the same time. More than two crops 

 in three yearn cannot be expected. Allowing* for this 

 break in its round of productiveness, the quantity of 

 produce of a plantation of leu years standing* cannot 

 be estimated higher on an average of years, than the 

 pounds of dried fruh for each tree, one with another; 

 although some trees will yield occasionally from 20 up 

 to 40 lbs. of dried produce. This tree, as in its native 

 v mutry the Moluccas, throws out new slioots here in 

 M iv. Ironi which the blossoms are. to come ; thus 

 arguing a similarity iu the climates of these Inlands 

 and Penaiig, 



The clove harvest may he s-enerally expected to 

 commence atwmt the beginning or nnd lie of .Novem- 

 ber* and to be over by the middle of January. 



The mother-dove does not ripen for three or four 

 mouths after. The Chinese have taken a fancy to the 

 dried m >ther-clove, considering it medicinal, and n 

 tjuanlity is annually exported to China. Some ph.nters 

 are of opinion, — and il is perhaps a right one, — lhat the 

 in rfher-clove exhausts the tree. The clove tree can he 

 multiplied by layers, but not to any profitable purpose 

 jn so far as experiment has yet gone, the progeny 

 being stunted. 



The spice planter at IVnaug should, until circum- 

 stances, alter, continue to act the pari of tenant — for I he 



