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Cultivation . — The nutmeg is usually cultivated on 
hillsides from about 200 to 1,500 feet, but is rarely 
found growing at sea-level. 
In Penang, in which are produced the finest nutmegs 
in the world, the trees are grown on the steep, 
exposed slopes of granite hills, on which the soil 
consists of yellow' loamy clay, characteristic of the 
laterite formations of the Malay Peninsula. Bare 
clay slopes or sandy soils are considered unsuitable, 
whilst wet or low-lying ground is fatal to its growth. 
The nutmeg is propagated from seed; only large 
well-formed seeds should be selected for this purpose. 
Seeds of irregular shape, or of a pale colour, should 
be rejected, also those which rattle in the shell on 
shaking. The seed should be planted as soon as 
possible after collection, since it loses its vitality 
quickly. 
The seed is planted in well-prepared nursery beds, 
composed of good soil, at distances of about 12 to 
15 inches apart and at a depth of two and a half 
inches. The beds should be shaded and watered 
every other day, or more frequently if necessary. 
The seeds germinate usually in four to six weeks. 
It is advisable to reduce the shading of the nurseries 
gradually. The young plants remain in the nurseries 
till they are from six to nine inches high, or for 
a period of about six months, after which they are 
transplanted. Planting in baskets is sometimes 
practised with good results. 
The young seedlings are planted in the field at a 
distance of twenty-five to thirty feet apart. The 
holes for planting should be at least three feet wide 
and three feet deep, and filled with good surface 
