THE STATISTICS OF NUTMEGS.* 
The statistics of Nutmegs are very imperfect, but still we have sufficient 
data to enable us to form some estimate of the cultivation and production 
in the different parts of the Indian Archipelago where the plant is cultiva¬ 
ted. In the Straits Settlements the cultivation is extending very largely, 
and the production of course keeps pace with it. It was only in the 
beginning of the present century that nutmeg planting was introduced into 
Pinang, a number of spice plants having been imported from Amboyna 
by the East India Company,f The Government after some time, sold their 
gardens in which they had planted the Clove and Nutmeg trees, but the 
cultivation would appear to have made little progress at first, as in 1810 
we find that there were only about 13,000 trees on the island, a few 
hundreds being all that were in bearing. In 1818 the number of bearing 
trees had increased to 6,900. In 1843 there were 75,402 trees in bearing, 
and 11 1,289 not in bearing, besides males and 52,510 in nurseries The 
cultivation has been steadily increasing since that date, and the greater 
part ol the trees then planted out but not bearing, must now be yielding 
fruit. The number of bearing trees in Piovince Wellesley in 1843 was 
10,500, not bearing 7,307, besides males, and a number in the nursery. 
The total number of nuts produced by the Pinang and Province Wellesley 
trees in 1842 were 18,560,281, and 42,866 lbs of Mace. 
Nutmeg trees were first introduced into Singapore io 1818. In 1843 the 
total number of trees were estimated at 43,544 of which 5,317 were in 
bearing, the prod uce being stated at 842,328 nuts In 1848, according to 
the table given by Dr Oxley,! the total number of trees planted out was 
estima'ed at 55,925, of which the numbers in bearing were 14,914 and the 
produce 4,085,361 nuts, besides mace which is estimated at about 1 lb for 
every 433 nutmegs. In Singapore the cultivation is extending very rapidly. 
The increase does not take place gradually, but every now and then, when 
some person with capital emers upon it, it seems to receive a large impetus, 
the example set by one appearing to incite others to embark in it. In one 
district in Singapore this has been very apparent. The district of Tanglin, in 
the beginning of 1843, consisted of barren looking hills covered with short 
brushwood and lalang, which had sprung up in deserted Gambier plantations. 
Immediately upon the regulations for granting lands in perpetuity being 
promulgated in the middle of that year, a great part of the district was cleared, 
and nutmeg plantations formed, and there cannot now be less than 10,000 
trees planted out in it. A number of Chinese are at present forming 
plantations in different parts of the island j one Chinaman has commenced 
planting which he intends doing to the extent of 5,000 trees, and we are 
aware of various other individuals who propose to form plantations of greater 
or less extent. 
During the occupation of Bencoolen by the English, the nutmeg and clove 
weie introduced from the Moluccas, and in 1819 the number of nutmeg trees 
were stated at 109,429. Regarding their present number we have do infor¬ 
mation, 
Tbe Spice trade of the Molucca islands being a strict monopoly, very few 
particulars are known regarding the extent of the cultivation or the amount of 
* We insert this paper, which originally appeared in the Singapore Free 
Press, as it supplies some facts which it did not come within the scope of Dr. 
Oxley’s account of the Nutmeg (ante Vol, II p. 641) to notice. 
f Low’s Dissertation on Pinang and Province Wellesley, 
j Journal of the Indian Archipelago for October, 1848. 
