192 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
exported, but shortly afterwards many trees were 
destroyed by cyclones and not replaced. In 1904, 
11,502 kilos (25,304 lbs.), valued at 6,902 francs, were 
exported, all being sent to France. The returns of the 
estates were very irregular. A tree one year would 
give 10 kilos of cloves and next year only 2, and 
the planter could only reckon on one good year in 
five. The cultivation is now practically abandoned. 
Madagascar exported in 1904, 77,501 kilos, valued at 
10,440 francs; in 1905, 48,124 kilos, valued at 86,915 
francs. 
There were then 409 hectares (about 900 acres) in 
cultivation, of which 152 only were owned by Europeans, 
the number of trees, young and old, being 113,350. 
Nearly the whole of the cultivation lay in the isle Ste. 
Marie, and the produce was exported to France. 
Malay Peninsula , — The cultivation of the clove 
tree is practically limited to Penang and Province 
Wellesley, and in the latter province mainly to the 
large hill known as Bukit Mertajam. The plants are 
usually grown with or close to the nutmegs (which 
have been already described), on steep clay hills over- 
looking the sea, or in the winding valleys leading up 
from the coast. As the hills are often steep they are 
terraced, each terrace following the contour of the hills, 
and being just wide enough to carry one row of trees. 
Blocks of stone and sticks are used to keep up the edges 
of the terraces when necessary, and the ground is kept 
clean by weeding. No shade is used, the trees being 
exposed to the full sun. Formerly this cultivation was 
in the hands of Europeans, at least to a large extent, 
but it has passed for some years now almost entirely 
into the hands of the Chinese. During the last year or 
two there has been a little falling off in the cultivation, 
but the class of cloves produced seems as good as ever. 
In Singapore the cultivation died out at the same 
time as that of the nutmeg, about 1866, but I doubt 
if it ever was as successful as in Penang. The parasite 
Cephaleurus is too pertinacious, and a recent re-opening 
