44^ 
THE TROPtCI^L /WJOTtJOLTUmST. [December i, 1891. 
Bome useful hints to those already engaged in such 
operations', and a tolerably safe guide for future 
epeculators. But I am by no mcatis disposed to 
think that I can fo exhaust the sabjuct as leave 
nothing for future writerp, being ("uUy persuaded in 
my own mind that the cultiva ion of the nutmtg 
can still be greatlj' improved, and that iu fact very 
little science has as yet been expended upon it. 
The Nutmeg Planter, to use Colonel Low's expressive 
words, " mutt have the bump ot perseverance my- 
nsticatically developed, and be impervious to 
compunclious feelir.gs on opening his purse" ; the 
combination also of an euthu.-iastic temperament with 
untiring patience is desirable. IE he be in histe to 
get rich, let him attend to some other pursuit ; but 
he has this consolation, that nutmeg planting properly 
conducted, although slow, is nn'€, and when brought 
to a certain point, safe and enduring ; and he has the 
further consolation of knowing thttt nature has bes- 
towed upon him a monopoly, for the nutmeg tree 
appears to be confined within comparatively narrow 
limits. "Whilst its opgeuer, the clove, has beun spread 
over Asia, Africa, and the West Indies, the nutmeg 
refuses to flourish out of the Malayan Archipelago 
except as an exotic, all attempts hitherto made to 
introduce it largely into other tropic il countries Laving 
decidedly failed. 
The Island of Ternate, which is in about the same 
latitude as Singapore, is said to have been the spot 
where it was truly indigenous, but no doubt the tree 
is to be found on most of the Moluccas. At pre- 
sent the place of its origi i is unproductive of the 
epice, having being robbed of its rich heritage by 
the policy of the Dutch, who at an early period 
lemoved the plantations to the Banda Isles, for better 
surveillance, where they still remain aud flourish. But 
although care was formerly taken to extirpate the 
tree on the Moluccas, the mace feeding Pigeons have 
frustrated the machinations of man, and spread it 
widely through the Archipelago of islands extending 
flora the Moluccis to New Guinea. Its circle of 
growth extends westward as far as Penang, where, 
although an exotic, it has been cultivated as a mercan- 
tile speculation for many years with success, so much 
so th-it doubtless the Pei.ang Planters think thr-mselves 
more in a situation to give than receive advice. I 
shall therefore beg- any of tho:e magnates who may 
chance to cast an eye on this paper, to bear iu 
mind that what they read is more pecnliarly applicable 
to Singapore than any other locality, and that more- 
over the plans laiil down have succeeded here. West- 
ward of Penang, there are no plantations, looking at 
the subject in a mercantile point of view. The tree 
is to be found, indeed, in Ceilon and the West Coast 
of India, but to grow it as a speculation out of its 
indigenous limits, is ss likely to prove successful as 
the cultivation of apples and pi ars in Bengal. 
In the B'.nda Lsle.^, where the tree may be considered 
as indigenou", no farther Btteution is paid to its 
cultivation thhn setting out the plants in park under 
he .shade of large forest trees with horizontal branches, 
called " Canari " by the natives. Here it attains a 
height of fifty feet and upwards, whereas from 20 to 
30 feet may be taken as a fair average of Strnits 
trees ; but notwithstandisg our pigmy proportions, 
it does nfit appear from all I could ever learn, that 
we are relatively bebind the Banda trees either in 
quantity or ejuality of produce, aud I am strongly 
impiested with the idea that the Islind of Singapore 
can compete with the Banda group on peifeclly 
even terms. Our climate is qui!e unexceptionable for 
the growth of the nutmeg, being i, either exposeel to 
drouf^hts or high winds ; and although we may Io~e 
by comparison of soils, vte again gain by greater 
facilities of sending our produce to market, by the 
ability of obtaining abundant supplies of manure, and 
any amount of free anti cheap labour. 
I shall now endeavour to lead the Planter ttep by 
step im his weary way, but just, to cheer him 
a little, he may have? the as.'-uraiKO that a nutmeg 
plantation well laid out and brought up to pirfeclinn, 
is one of the ino.st pleaHing anfl agreeable properties 
that can be possessed. Yielding returns more ot less 
daily throughout the year, there is uncoasiug interest, 
betides the usual stimulus to all Agriculturists 
of a crop time, when his produce iocreasea to double 
and qaaJruple the ordinary rouiice. 
Trees having arrived at 15 years growth, there is 
no incertitude or fe;ir of total failure of crop, only 
in relatiye amount of produce, and this, as will ba 
seen, is greatly in tbe Phnter's own power to com- 
mand. It is against reason to suppaee that a tree 
always ia flower and fruit will not expend itself if 
; left to unaided nature ; it must le supplie 1 with 
suitable stimuli to make good the waste ; therefore 
he who want! nuts must not be sparing of iranure, 
i but of this more directly. 
The first requisite for the Panter is choice of 
location. It is true that the LUlmog tree, aided by 
manure, will grow in almost any soil where water does 
not lodge, but it makes a vast difference in the degree 
' of succcss, whether the soil be orginally good, or poor 
and improved by art. The tree thrives not in white 
or sandy soils, but loveth tbe deep red and friable 
soils form' d tjy the decomposition of granite rocks 
and tinged with iron, and the deeper this tinge the 
better. I am therefore incline 1 to think that iron in 
the soil is almost necessary for the full development 
of the p'aut. If undeT the befbrementioned soil there 
be a rubble of iron-stone at 4 or 5 feet from the 
surface (a very common formation in Singapore), 
forming- a natural drainage, the Pltnter has obliained 
all that he can desire in the ground, and neels only 
patience and perseverance to secure success. The 
form of the ground ought to be undulating, to per- 
mit the runuine off of ail superfiiiou.s water, as there 
is no one thing more injurious to the pliut than 
water, lodging around its roots, although in order 
to thrive well it requires an atmosphere of the most 
humid sort and rain almost daily. Besides the form 
of the ground, situation is highly desirable particularly 
as regards exposure. A spot selected for a nutmeg 
plantation, cannot be too well sheltered, as high winds 
are most destructive to the tree, iodepecelently of 
the loss oocabioned by the blowing off of fruitmd 
flower. 
At present there is abundant choice of land in 
Singapore, the greater portion of the Island being as 
yet uncultivated, and much answering to the above 
de?-cripl ion. The land can be purchased from Govern- 
ment at the ra^e of from 5 to 10 Rupees per acre 
in perpetuity. I would advise the man who wishes 
to institute a plantation to select the virgin forest, 
and of all things let him avoid de?erte3 Gambier 
plantations ths soil of which is completely exhausted, 
the Cbin'^se taking good care never tj leave a spot 
until tliey have taken a!l they can out of it. A 
cleared spot has great a'traction for the inexperienced, 
and it is uot ea*y to convince a man that it is less 
expensive to attack the primitive fore!^t, than to 
attempt to clear an old Gambier plantation overrun 
with the L^i'ung grass; but tbe cutti g down 
and burning of large forest trees is far less expensive 
than the extirpation of the l^hing, ani as the Chinese 
leave all the stumps of the large trees in the ground, 
it is also more eliificnlt to remove them in this state, 
than when you have the powerful lever of the trunk 
to aid you in tearing up their roots, setting aside 
the paramount advantage that in thd one e«se yon 
possess a fresh and fertile S'jil, in the other in effete 
and barren one, for if there be any o ;e pi- nt more 
than anutber capiblu of impoverisbing end we-iring 
out land, it is tbe Gambier plant* 
{To he continued.) 
— 
A Big Cacao Leaf.— A correspondent writes : — "The 
leaf I send by todi^y's post is oft an experimental 
tree round the bungalow, I meaeuie it 23 in. by 
7 in. What do you think of it as a specimen? 
The tree is about five years old, healthy and in bear- 
ing under slight shade." The leaf is certainly a 
grand specimen, but the cacao trees are distin- 
guished for large leaves. 
* Any observant visitor to Singapore will notice this. 
Deserted tobacco tracts in Java alone are more 
exhausted- — l^D, L. II. 
