The Dickinson press., 1890-10-04
GLOVE

Zanzibar Furnishes the Larger Part OF
the Supply of the Aromatic Spice.
Zanzibar and the neighboring island
of Pemba furnish the world with the
bulk of the supply, about $4,000, 900
pounds q year. Consul Pratt, in a re-
port just received at the state depart
ment, says the Glove tree was first intro
duced into Zanzibar by Sultan Seyed
Said bin Sultan about the year 1880,
since which time its cultivation has
gradually extended, until it is now the
chief industry of tho islands.
The industry received a check in 1872,
the date of tho great hurricane. At least
nine-tenths of the trees were destroyed
at that time, so the larger part of those
now standing are of new growth. A
popularity of the Glove tree is that every
part is aromatic, but the greatest
strength is found in the bud, which is
the "clove" of commerce. The finest
quality of cloves arc dark brown in color,
with full, perfect heads, free from moist
ure.
In the cultivation of the Glove the first
thing to DO done is the starting Of tho
shoot. The seeds arc placed in long
trenches and are we'll 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 three feet in height.
They arc then transplanted, being set
about thirty feet apart, and are kept
watered till they become well rooted.
From this time on tho young trees re-
quirc only ordinary care, though the best
results are obtained when tho ground
about the trees is we'll watched ovcr and
kept FREQ from weeds.
The growth of the tree is very slow,
and five or six years arc 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 COM
ing into bearing. The leaves, of various
shades of green tinged with red, serve to
set off the clusters of dull red Glove 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 period. The limbs
of the trees being very brittle q peculiar
four sided ladder is brought into requisi-
ton and the harvesting proceeds apace.
As fast as collected the buds are spread
out in the sun until they assume n brown
ish color, when they are put in the store
house and are ready for market. A TO-
year-old plantation should produce an
average of twenty pounds of cloves to a
tree. Trees of 90 years frequently pro-
duce upward Of one hundred pounds
each, worth ten cents a pound. The sui
tan derives no inconsiderable portion of
his revenue from this source, the duty
levied placing to the sultan's credit for
the present year nearly if not quite
$500, 900.
Besides the Glove buds the stems arc
also gathered, and form an article of
commerce commanding about one-ffth
the price of cloves and having about the
same percentage of strength. To this
circumstance is due the fact that the
ground Glove frequently be purchas-
ed in the homo market ut a lower price
than whole cloves. For the past fifteen
years the cultivation of cloves has been
the chief occupation of the Arab plant
ers and has always netted good returns.
1t seems probable that it will continue
to be q profitable crop, since the con-
sumption of the article appears to keep
pace with the inevitable increase Of pro-
duction.-St. Louis Globe Democrat.