The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-08

How They Arc Cultivated and
Where-DinicuIties With Idle and
ShiftIeSS LabOrers.

From the London Globe.
Gloves were at one time the only eco
romic product which Zanzibar supplied 10
foreign countries, writes Mr. Consul Cave.
and although much has been and is being
done to encourage the native agrcultur-
list TO have more than one iron I'm the fire,
this tree is still and probably always viii
be far more extensively cultivated than
any other The Glove season proper-that
is, the period during which the crop rip
ems and is arvested-eXtends from Sep
TENDER TO March, but the cloves continue
TO be brought into town for some months
later, either because some of the trees are
retarded in their towering or because the
growers are holding back for more favor
a bic market. The 1898 crop, although l,3)2,-
100 pounds in excess Of that of the pre-
Nious year was not more than good av-
erage one, and fell far short of the results
obtained in 1890 1894, and 1895, but, all
though this is true as regards the twelve
months ended Dec. 81 last, it will proba-
bly, be found when the next report comes
to I've written that the season of 1889 mas
cqualed, if it has not surpassed, any pr
vious existing record. In the summer and
auiumn of last year considerable anxiety
was felt as to what the season would bring
forth for there had been no heavy rain 70
eighteen months, and a large number of
trees mad died from want of water. In
Pemba alone no fewer than 100000 are said
TO have persisted from this cause. The
rains came in time to save the crop and
make il one of the most prolific that this
cot ntry has known but the long drought
which preceded them not only caused the
buds 10 ne somewhat smaller than usull,
bur DELAYED the harvest for several weeks.
And this is especially the case in the Isl-
and of Zanz lar, where the rainfall is sell
dom more than half as heavy, and the
trees not nearly so old or so hardy as in
the sister island The quantity of cloves
brought into town from the Zanzibar plan
tations up TO the end Of the year was, il
will be observed only 60 1854 frasilas, the
smallest amount tabulated, but of these no
less than 50 1855 frasilas and from the two,
islands together 12l. s5S frasilas arrived in
December alone. which is far in excess %
the mounts recorded for any period of
one month since these returns were first
complied
The other great difficulty which both the
government and the Arab cultivator have
TO contend with is the labor question, Which
it will probably take many years 10 solve.
Ever since the importation of saves has
been prohibited the supply of labor has
diminished with increasing rap,dity from
wear to year and now that thousands of
slaves have been freed under the decree
of 1897 il is quite inadequate to meet the
demands that are made upon IL. Much has
been done in the interests of the cultiVa-
Tor; the freed slaves are induced, when
ever il is possible, TO settle on the sham
has of their old masters aud TO work for
them, under voluntary agreements, either
i'll return for a fixed daily wage or by
giving up certain number of days to
their employers and devOting the remain
der of the week TO the cultivation Of plots
of ground which are allotted to them for
that purpose. money wage has. as often
as possible. been substituted for payment
in kind both as an addit onal incentive 10
the laborer, and so as 10 prevent him from
absenting himself from his work for two
or three days in succession at more or less
frequent intervals in order 10 dry and dis
pose of the green cloves which he has
either earned as his share of the picking,
or as frequently happens. stolen from the
trees during the night; but no legislation
can make the native take a genuine inter-
est i'm his work or keep at it for a longer
period than will enable him to live in com
parative comfort for a few weeks of con-
tented idleness. The scarcity of labor has
I'had its effect both on the total yield of the
year and on the quality OF the sample.
Different buds on the same tree ripen at
different times. and, TO secure good sam
pie. they should be picked at a certain def
mite Stage of development, but in his anx-
iety to have as much of his crop gathered
as possible. the cultivator has had to neg
lect any sreciaf care in picking, as well
as in the equally important process of dry
ing, with the natural result that the cloves
sent home are found TO vary in size, coor,
and quality.