Am.  Jour.  Pharm. ) 
Aug.,  1890.  J 
Clove  Culture  in  Zanzibar. 
421 
the  greatest  strength  is  found  in  the  bud,  which  is  the  "  clove  "  of 
commerce.  The  finest  quality  of  cloves  are  dark  brown  in  colorr 
with  full,  perfect  heads,  free  from  moisture. 
In  the  cultivation  of  the  clove,  the  first  thing  to  be  done  is  the 
starting  of  the  shoot.  The  seeds  are  planted  in  long  trenches  and 
are  kept  well  watered  until  after  sprouting.  In  the  course  of  forty 
days  the  shoots  appear  above  ground.  They  are  carefully  watered 
and  looked  after  for  the  space  of  two  years,  when  they  should  be 
about  3  feet  in  height.  They  are  then  transplanted,  being  set  about 
30  feet  apart,  and  are  kept  watered  till  they  become  well  rooted. 
From  this  time  on  the  young  trees  require  only  ordinary  care, 
though  the  best  results  are  obtained  when  the  ground  about  the 
trees  is  well  worked  over  and  kept  free  from  weeds. 
The  growth  of  the  tree  is  very  slow,  and  five  or  six  years  are- 
required  for  it  to  come  into  bearing,  at  which  time  it  is  about  the 
size  of  an  ordinary  pear  tree  and  is  usually  very  shapely.  It  is  a 
pretty  sight  to  see  a  young  plantation  just  coming  into  bearing. 
The  leaves,  of  various  shades  of  green  tinged  with  red,  serve  to  set 
off  the  clusters  of  dull  red  clove  buds. 
As  soon  as  the  buds  are  fully  formed  and  assume  this  reddish 
color  the  harvesting  commences,  and  is  prosecuted  for  fully  six 
months  at  intervals,  since  the  buds  do  not  form  simultaneously,  but 
at  odd  times  throughout  the  whole  period.  The  limbs  of  the  tree 
being  very  brittle,  a  peculiar  four-sided  ladder  is  brought  into 
requisition,  and  the  harvesting  proceeds  apace. 
As  fast  as  collected,  the  buds  are  spread  out  in  the  sun,  until 
they  assume  a  brownish  color,  when  they  are  put  in  the  storehouse 
and  are  ready  for  market. 
A  ten-year-old  plantation  should  produce  an  average  of  20  pounds 
of  cloves  to  a  tree.  Trees  of  twenty  years  frequently  produce 
upwards  of  100  pounds  each. 
The*  present  season,  commencing  with  July,  1 889,  is  very  favorable, 
and  the  crop  will  exceed  that  of  any  previous  season.  It  will,  in  all 
probability,  amount  to  13,000,000  pounds,  averaging  a  local  value  of 
10  cents  per  pound. 
The  Sultan  derives  no  inconsiderable  portion  of  his  revenue  from 
this  source,  since  the  duty  is  levied  at  30  per  cent,  ad  valorem,  thus 
placing  to  the  Sultan's  credit  for  the  present  year  nearly,  if  not 
quite,  3400,000. 
