July 1, 1901.] THE TROPICAL AGRICULTURIST. 
11 
Specimens of the seeds and a fragment of the fruit of 
his Musa religiosa, but these aie not sufficient to 
enable us definitely to solve the question whether 
M. reUgiosa, and J/. Gilletii are two specific types. 
We might give as a distinctive olaaracteiistic the 
colour of the seeds, which are grey and dull in the 
former, v.'hilst in the latter species they are of a 
biautiful brilliant black ; as regards the measurement 
they are about equal. In consideration of this diffe- 
rence, and in the complete absence of information as 
to the flower, wa have preferred to describe our 
plant under a new name, and to dedicate it to our 
collaborator, J. Gillet, S.J., who devotes a large 
portion of his lime| to the collecting of the plants 
of the Lower Congo. Besides, this plant will shortly 
make its apearance commercially, for the seeds 
sent by J. Gillet to the Messrs. Damann, of San 
iJiovanni, at Teduccio (Italy), have germinated and 
produced young plants. 
MnsA GiLLETi, De Wild a new species. Plant 1 
metre 50 to 2 meitres high f-l feet 9 inches to [6 feet 4 
inches), not stoloniferous, more or less swelled at 
the base, completing itscycle of evolution in three 
years ; during the iirst year, the plant is low, and 
has few leaves ; in the second year it makeSj height 
growth still, foliated frsm the base ; in the third 
year there is formed at the extremity of the stem, 
which bends] over, a floral panicle. The lower 
leaves are, ellipticall-anceolate, with a very strong 
sheathed petiole, and with a very large and pro- 
nounced midrib. They are 1 metre 50 (57 inches) 
long, and have a translucent border. The upper 
leaves are 40 to 50 centimetres long (16 to 20 inches^ 
those nearest to the inflorescence only attain to 
about 8 inches, and pass insensibly to the bracts; 
these become gradually narrowed as they reach the 
inflorescence ; the leaves and the bracts are terminated 
by a narrow twisted elongated apex. The florifei'ous 
spike, shortly pedunculated, recurved, measures about 
40 centimetres fl6 inches) in length, not including the 
peduncle, and is formed of numerous persistent 
bracts, of which the tan or twelvs inferior ones alone 
enclose the fertile flowers. Tlis flowers situated at 
;he seat of the superior bracts are male. The bracts 
are oval-lanceolate, more or less elongatd, and are 
from 4 to 5 and 9 centinietres (1 3-5, 2, and 3 3-5 inches) 
broad ; and 71 to 35 centimetres (6 4-5 to 10 inches ; 
long, more or less cute at the top The flowers are 
arranged in two rows, to qhe number of ten or twelve : 
live or six of the inside row, Ave on the outside. The 
perianth has two lips, the smaller enclosed at the 
base by the larger, the first tridentated at the top, 
and longitudinally mucronated, about f inches in 
length, not including the prolongation ; the longer 
caniculated, trilobed at the top, from 2 to 3 centi- 
metres (4 5 to 1 5 inches) long with lobes sometimes 4 
millimetres (4-25 inch) long, sub-obtuse or sub-acute 
at the top. Stamens to the number of six as long as 
the exterior lobe of the perianth, one of them often 
more or less abortive with slender pedicel, with 2- 
celled anthers, about 12 millimetres ("12-25 inch) long, 
obtuse at the top, fixed at the top of the pedicel, 
attached in their whole length to the connective ; 
pollen grains globular or sub-globular with a thick 
external wall showing grains at intervals. Inferior 
ovary, triloculates, with numerous ovules, of 2-series 
with elongated style as long as the stamens, exceed- 
ing them slightly, terminated in a claviform stigma, 
irregularly lobed. Fruit oblong, angular, sub-pyri- 
form, attenuated to a sort of pedicel at the Isase, 
shiny, greyish exteriorly, irregularly tuberculate in 
consequence of the protuberance of the seed crov.'ned 
by the base of the lobes of the persiateal perianth, 
enclosing about twenty-three seeds, and measuring 
about 51 centimetres (2J inches) long by 2? centi- 
metres (1 inch) broad towards the end. Seed enclosed 
in a pulp which becomes puiverous and white in a 
dry siate, ovoid-angular through mutual pressure 8 
millimetres (about 4 lines) high by 9-10 millimetres 
(about I line) broadi the attaching cicatrice 3 milli- 
fla§tres (3-35 iuch) in diamelei; q£ a beautiful shiny, 
black colour, limp, furnished at the top with a little 
punctiform depression surrounded with a slightly 
obtruding border. Habitat : Borders of the raviaes in 
the region from Kisautu to Lu-vituku, the two 
extreme points of the Lower Congo, where up to the 
present it has been observed, (J. Oiliet, 1900). 
From what we have said above, it would appear 
clear that Giilet's plant belongs to the group of 
Musa Ensefe Gmel., and that, therefore it belongs to 
the sub-genus PhyMcaulis, Baker (I), which inoiadea 
only six species in tropical Africa and eleven in the 
whole world. From the size of the seed it approaches 
Ilusa Livingstonia and prohosciclea, but in the first 
of these, instead of being smooth, they arg tuber- 
culous, and as regards M. proboscideet, the height of 
the plant (four or five times as tall as a man) and 
the length of the inflorescence are sufficient to show 
that it Is widely distinct from the former, — Review 
Des Cultures Coloniales 
CLOVE PLANTING. 
Sir Lloyd Mathews writes to us as follows : — 
I send you a memorandum which was written 
for me oy Mr. Lyne, and whicU please publish in 
the Gazette. It gives an idea of what the outlay 
would mean for anyone who desired to plant 
cloves in Zanzibar. Probably 20 per cent shouUl 
be added to Mr. Lyne's figures to meet the ca.se 
of a private individual who might not have such 
facilities as he had, as for example, in the 
employment of prison labour. Otherwise the 
figures represent what the actual expenditure 
would amount to in laying out and planting such 
a plantation as lie describes. 
As regards coconuts the cost per tree woulil 
probably amount to about 50% more, or roughly, 
li annas per tree to plant. In the interval 
between planting and bearing the ground can 
be occupied by bananas, muhogo, sweet potatoes, 
and other annuals which might be expected to 
pay for the cleaning and cultivation of the plan- 
tation during that interval. Planting cloves and 
coconuts^in Zanzibar is not, it will be observed, 
n, very serious undertaking here, and is well 
within the reach of small capitalists, 
THE LAYING OUT AND PLANTING OF A 
CLOYE PLANTATION OF 6550 TREES. 
This work was begun at Dunga on March 5th 
and completed on April 22nd. Omitting Sundays 
and holidays— the Sikukuu of El Hadj fell within 
that period — the total number of working days 
was 39. As previous to March 5th no preparation 
had been made for the laying out of this clear- 
ing, and as from that time the work was carried 
on without interruption to its completion, it 
constitutes a useful experience as to the time 
and men rer^uired for, and the cost of, planting 
Cloves in Zanzibar. On an average there were 
42^ native people occupied daily, beside overseers ; 
of these \<oh were prisoner*, G boys and 20 
ordinary paid labourers. 
The prisoners were employed chiefly in collecting 
the seedlings into the nursery, and afterwards, 
when the time came, in carrying them out to 
be planted. Some who were in Teg irons were 
set on to dig holes, at which work they proved 
almost as good as the paid labourers. Tlie boys 
were employed in helping the liners, in filling 
in t!ie holes, in helping the jdanters and a few 
at times in digging holes. The employment of 
prisoners and boys has reduced the' cost of the 
plantation considerably. Clove-planting consists 
of live main operations, namely : lining, holing, 
lining in the holes, collection of, and planting 
