The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1889-11-06
ABOUT NUTMEGS.
Where and How They Are Raised
and Prepared for Market.
Interesting Particulars Concsrning One OF
the Most Highly Prixcd splces-How
Nature Fooled the Greedy
Merchants OF banda

boro the 9rocors' Association OF Boston re-
scntly by w. d. Bennett Of New York,
from which the American Analyst con-
denses the following interesting particulars
concerning thenutmeg:
Nutmegs grow on small trees resembling
pear trees, cut down 10 about twenty feet In
height. The flowers are very much like
those Of the lily ofthe valley; they are pale
yellow and very fragrant The leaves stand
alternately on short footstalks; are oblong,
pointed, entire bright green and somewhat
glossy on their upper surface, whitish be-
meath, and Of an aromatic taste. The fruit,
which appears on the tree mingled with the
flowers, Is round or oval, Of the size OF
small peach, smooth, at hrst pale green, but
yellow when ripe, and marked with longi-
tudinal furrow. The external covering,
which Is at first thick and feshy and
sbounds in an austere lastringent, after
ward becomes dry and leathery, and, sep
srating into two valves from the apex, dis
closes q scarlet net-lilfe membrane, COM
monty called mace, closely investing thin
brown shining shell, which contains the
kernel or nutmeg. The nutmeg tree is
Q native OF the Moluccas and other
neighboring islands, and abounds espe-
cially in that small cluster distin-
guished by the name Of Banda, whence
the chief supplies Of nutmegs were
long derived. But the plant is now culti-
vated in Sumatra, Java, Singapore, Penang,
Ceylon and other parts Of the Rast Indies,
and has been introduced Into the, isles Of
France, Bourbon, Cayenne and several OF
the West India islands. A fine tree In Jamai-
ca has over 1000 nutmcgs on II yearly The
tree begins TO bear when ten years old, and
goes on improving for 100 years. The fruit
Is gathered two or three times year.
Three sorts OF nutmegs are distinguished,
namely, the male or barren, the royal, and
the queen, the last Of which Is small and
round. The nutmeg Is propagated from
fresh seeds (nutmeg) and these vary In size
and shape, Just as apples and pears do when
raised from seeds. There can hardly be
more profitable crop than the nutmeg at
present prices. The annual yield Of good
tree Of sixteen years. growth is about ten
pounds, covering about 500 square feet sur
face, at an average Of 40 cents per pound,
gives a value Of produce per acre per an
mum Of over 1880, including mace. The
fruit Of the nutmeg takes nine months TO
mature, and 100 pounds ofnutmeg produce
one pound OF mace. A good nutmeg should
be round, large and heavy, OF drab or light
brown color, and finely marbledin the cross
section. Its virtues are extracted by alcohol
aud ether. Eighteen ounces OF good sound
nutmeg will yield four ounces OF oil. The
volatile oil Is obtained BY dlstillation with
water. BY pressure with heat an oily mat
ter IL procured from the kernels, which
becomes solid on cooling, and Ia commonly,
though erroneously, called mace. Nut
megs have been punctured and boiled In
order TO extract their essential oil, and the
orifice afterward closed 30 carefully rs NOT
10 be discoverable unless by breaking the
kernel The fraud may 10 detected by their
lightness. The Dutch wsfe formerly said
70 heat them in stove b order,to deprive
them OF the power OF terminating, and
thus prevent the propagation Of the tree.
The Dutch used 70 have all the nutmeg
trade, as they owned the Banda islands, and
conquered the other traders and destroyed
the trees to keep the price up They once
burned over three piles OF nutmegs, each Of
| which was rs largo a. 0 church. Nature did
not sympathiIe with such mcanness. The
nutmeg pigeon, found In all India islands,
did for the world what the Dutch. had de
| termined should not be done-carried these
nuts, which are their food, into all the sur.
rounding countries, trees grew again and
the world had the beheat Tho practice oi
lining nutmegs has been sadly abused; Il
is used principally for making slightly and
marketable those nutmeEs which at one
tine would have been altogether rejected
The long or wild nutmeg is distinguished
from that just described by its much
/ greater length, tho absence Of the dark
brown veins and its comparatively feeble
odor and disagreeable taste. Il has been
called male, wild, or long nutmeg, tho other
being Designated - the female, or cult
vated nutmeg The oqncrcte, or expressed
oil OF nutmeg, commonly called oil Of mace
Is obtained by bruising nutmegs, exposing
them In bag 70 steam and then compress
Ing them slightly between heated plates. A
liquid oil flows out which becomes solid
wheu II cools. Nutmegs are said 10 yield
from ten to twelve per cont Of this oil The
best Is imported from the East Indies In
stout jars. II Is solid, soft, unctuous 70 the
touch, Of yellowish or orange yellow color
more or less mottled, with the odor ant
taste Of nutmeg. An artificial preparation
is sometimes made from genuine OIL Il Il
made by mixing fatty matters, such as suet
palm oil, wax, etc. adding some col
oring substance, and giving favor TO th,
mixture by the volatile OIL. Nut
meg unites with the'medical properties o.
the ordinary aromatics considerable mar
cotic power. In the quantity Of two oil
three drachms 1t has been known 10 pro
duce stupor and delirium; and dangerous
II not fatal, consequences are said 70 hav,
followed its use In India.