'JO 



• PICES. 



pose themselves to agricultural innovators and it might 

 even after a great outlay of capital, have bees doubt- 

 in I mi the decease of that gentleman, bad hot I Lw 

 son, the laie and lamented George Brown, Esqrc., 

 m.maged the estate with a spirit and judgement 

 which finally overcame every difficulty, and displayed, 

 for tin* first time, after thirty years of perilous trial, 

 the full value of the pursuit. 



In 1818, tli*; bearing nutmeg frees on the island 

 were estimated to be 6,900. Since that period spices 

 have been more extensively cultivated, There are 

 now? upwards tjf thirty spice plantations at this settle- 

 merit, including I'l'in itnr W ellcslt \ , juid these may he 

 classed as follows: — 



Five plantations containing from 4.000 up to 20,000 

 trees. 



Eight from 500 up to 10,000 lives. 



Seventeen from 50 up to 2,000, containing in ihe 

 aggregate, about 80,000 trees, of which number 45,000 

 are estimated to he in bearing. When Beneooleu was 

 ceded to the Dutch, the plantations there were estimat- 

 ed to contain 22,000 bearing trees only* 



The gross annual prodnce from the plantation's may 

 be roughly estimated at 130,000 lbs, but young trees 

 are yearly coming into bearing to suell ibis quantity; 

 should the cultivation meet with no serious interrup- 

 tion, it may. perhaps, in time, supply the whole of the 

 English market with spices. 



Having thus traced the history of Penang spice 

 cultivation through the difficulties it has so success- 

 fulh struggled with, up to the present day, it remains 

 to show how it stands affected hy extraneous circum- 

 stances, its value to the mother country, and the modes 

 in which it may be permanently upheld. The reader 

 will, it is hoped, excuse the, perhaps m his eyes, length- 

 ened details nceessary tor the above purpose, since, in 



