138 ALL-SPICE. 
149. ALL-SPICE, or PIMENTO, is the dried berry of a 
West Indian species of myrtle (rayrtus pimenta, Fig. 45.) 
This tree grozcs to the height of twenty feet and upwards, 
and has somewhat oval leaves about four inches long, of deep 
shining green colour, and numerous bunches of white flowers, 
each with four small petals. 
In the whole vegetable creation there is scarcely any 
tree more beautiful or more fragrant than a young 
pimento about the month of July. Branched on all 
sides, richly clad with deep green leaves, which are re- 
lieved by an exuberance of white and strongly aromatic 
flowers, it attracts the notice of all who approach it. 
Pimento trees grow spontaneous^, and in great 
abundance, in many parts of Jamaica; but they cannot 
be propagated without great difficulty. The usual 
method of making a new pimento walk, or plantation, 
is to appropriate for this purpose a piece of woody 
ground in the neighbourhood of an already existing 
walk, or in a part of the country where the scattered 
trees are found in a native state. The other trees are 
cut down ; and, in a year or two, young pimento plants 
are found to spring up in ail parts, supposed to have 
been produced from berries scattered there by birds, 
which eagerly devour them. 
About the month of September, and not long after 
the blossoms have fallen, the berries are in a fit state to 
be gathered. At this time, though not quite ripe, they 
are full grown, and about the size of pepper-corn?. 
They are gathered by the hand ; and one labourer 
on a tree will strip them off so quickly as to employ 
three below in picking them up ; and an industrious 
picker will fill a bag of seventy pounds' weight in a day. 
The berries are then spread on a terrace, in the sun, for 
about seven days, to be dried ; but this is an operation 
which requires great care, from the necessity of keeping 
them perfectly free from moisture. By the drying they 
lose their green colour, and become reddish brown ; 
and the process is known to be completed by their 
