Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-12-25
ABOUT NUTMEG GROWING
Picturesque Occupation of the Natives of the
Banda Islands.
NATIVES Make Merry Over Their Work
Social Features Of the
Picking.
From the New York Evening Post.

From the New York Evening Post
The story of the nutmeg trade and the
history of the Banda Islands-a history
eventful out of all proportion to the size
of the territory inyolved-are essentially
one. Although nutmegs were first brought
to Europe before the year 1000, they re-
manned for hundreds of years a costly lux
ury, on account of the expense involved IL
transporting them from the Moluccas t.
Alden, thence across the desert and dowr
the Nile, before finally shipping them to q
European port. When, in the sixteenth
century, direct trade was opened with the
far east, the Banda Islands, a little cluster
of half-submerged volcanic peaks. became
with the rest of the Molucca or Spice Is
lands bone of contention between the
Spaniards and the Portuguese The Por-
tugneSe got them. only to lose them in the
next century to the Dutch, to whom. bar
ring several temporary occupations by the
British, the group has since belonged
With 1t there passed into the hands of the
Dutch the control of its chief product, the
fruit Of the nutmeg tree-"the tree thai
bears gold.'
For 300 years the Dutch East India Com
pany was permitted by the government to
maintain tyrannouS MONOPOLY in the nut
meg trade. to preserve which the agents
OF the company systematically cxterml-
mated nutmeg trees growing On any Other
Islands of the Moluccan archipelago. This
practice was abolished in 1862, but NOT I'M
til 1873 did the last planters encouraged a
last by the support of the Dutch govern
ment free themselves from the control O,
the company whose Shortsighted CONNER
cial policy had almost ruined the nutmec
trade and whose misrule had desolated IN.
Banda Islands
In spite of competition that has since
sprung up. the Banda product still lead,
the market, constituting nearly two-fifth.
of the worlds crop and being of the finest
grade Elsewhere in the East Indies anc
IN the vicinity Of Singapore, considerable
crops of nutmegs have recently been mar
keted. The West Indies yield a SINAI
crop, but attempts to introduce the nut
meg tree into South America Mexico, Fan
zthar and other places have failed.
The fruit of the nutmeg tree is pear
shaped. 1t consists of four parts a flesh,
outer part red network within this
known to commerce as mace, the shell
covered by the mace, and the kernel, OF
nutmeg proper.
The nutmeg groves, called nutmeg gar
cens,' are singularly beautiful. The nuI
meg trees blossom and bear fruit con
tinuously, so that the harvest season last.
the year round Their straight, tall trunk
are covered with glossy, dark foliage, ami.
which hangs the yellow ruit,Showing wher
i has burst from ripeness, the rich red .
the mace within. Above these orchard
huge canary trees weave their branche-
into a canopy, from which come the coo
ing of nut pigeons. the cry of parrots, an
the song of the Indian nightingale
The fruit is treated with great care. !
must be gathered within twenty-four hour.
after it opens, to prevent its falling to tn,
ground, which injuries the mace and ma,
lead to the nutmeg's becoming wormy
W hen the days harvest has been gathere,
1t Is sorted to separate the ripe fruit fron
the unripe. The ripe fruit is then spreaf
on flooring of bamboo in the dry;n-
house, where a fire Smolders constantly
After about six weeks of drying. a process.
THAT must be very carefully conducted 20 in
sure good results, the nuts are again sorted
and are then coated with lime to proven
them from becoming worm-eaten The dr.
process Of lining consists in shaking then
with lime in barrels or by rubbing hen
with lime powder between the hands II
the wet process they are thrown into fresh
slaked lime, and then spread out to dry
The mace owes its market value in
great degree to its appearance Drying robs
1t of its scarlet hue. but every effort /.
made tc have it retain a bright orang,
color. After being loosened from the nj
II Is spread out on wickerwork or mating
and left over night. 1t requires in affne
weather, only few days of drying Dur
ing the drying process ii is trodden fiat
to keep it from breaking when packed
The nutmeg grove As the social meeting
place as well as the work-ffeld of the plan
tatton lahorers. From o'clock in h
morning until 3 in the afternoon, wher
picking gives place TO sorting, the wooC
echoes with merry voices. While he nu'>
are being skillfully knocked off with gaaf-
s&ais, as the long-pronged sticks used foi
this purpose are called. the young men and
girls arrange matters that have nothing tC
do with the nutmeg market. Notice of tn,
oVerseers approach is given to these love
making couples by their friends. who i'm
tate the nut pigeons call as signal The
oNerseer, however, is not likely to disturb
them, for he knows that a feature of Banda
courtship is the assistance given by the
youth to his sweetheart in filling her has
kets that she may obtain the premium of
Tered for extra measure Only when the
asslduous lovers are discovered ''poacn'ng'
on one estate to fill the baskets of Girls
employed on another does the oversear In
terfere.
The native dwellings are simple affairs
OF bamboo, but manager has Il comfort
able brick house. necessarily of one story
only because of the danger from earth
quakes. A steep roof seemingly Quite ON
o. proportion to the height of the house
itself overhanss it so far as to form a
gallery or veranda across .he front. Rack
OF this is an inner gallery or hall, out OF
which open all the other rooms.