The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-01-03
GROWING NUTMEGs.
Natives of the Banda Islands Seem
Happy in IL.

Happy i'm IL.
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 invclved-are essentially
one. Although nutmegs were first brought
to Europe before the year 1000, they re-
NAMED for hundreds of years costly lux
ury, on account of the expense involved in
transporting them from the Moluccas 90
Alden. thence across the desert and down
the Nile, before finally shipping them to a
European port. When, in the sixteenth
century, direct trade was opened with the
Far East the Banda Islands, little clus-
ter Of half-submerged volcanic peaks, be-
came with the rest of the Molucca or
Spice Islands. a bone of contention be-
tween the Spaniards and the Portuguese.
The Portuguese got them, only to lose
them in the next century to the Dutch,
TO whom. barring several temporary oc-.
equations by the British, the group has
since belonged. With It there passed into
the hands of the Dutch the control of lis
chief product, the fruit of the nutmeg
tree-"the tree that beers gold"
For 300 years the Dutch East India Com
pany was permitted by the government to
maintain a tyrannous monopoly in the
nutmeg trade, to preserve which the
agents of the company systematically ex-
terminated nutmeg trees growing on any
other Islands OF the Moluccan Archipel-
ago. This practice was abolished in 1862,
but not until 1873 did the last planters en-
couraged at last by the support of the
Dutch government free themselves from
the control of the companw whose short
sighted commercial policy had almost
ruined the nutmeg trade and whose mis-
rule had desolated the Banda Islands.
In spite Of the competition that has since
sprung up, The Banda product still leads
the market. constituting nearly two-ffths
of the worlds crop, and being of the finest
grade. Elsewhere in the East Indies. and
in the vicinity of Singapore. considerable
crops of nutmegs have recently been mar
keted. The West Indies yield a small crop,
but attempts to introduce the nutmeg tree
into South America, Mexico, Zanzibar and
other places have failed
The fruit of the nutmeg tree Is pear
shaped 1t consists of four parts. a feshy
outer part a red network within this
known to commerce as mace the she'll
covered by the mace, and the kernel. or
nutmeg proper.
The nutmeg groves, called nutmeg gar
dens," are singularly beautiful. The nut
meg trees blossom and bear fruit contiu-
uously, so that the harvest season lasts
the year round Their straight. tall trunks
are covered with glossy dark foliage,
amid which hangs the yellow fruit, show
ing where il has burst from rpeness, the
rich red of the mace within. Above these
orchards huge canary trees weave their
branches into a canopy, from which come
tle cooling of nut-pigeons, the cry of par
rots and the song of the Indian nightin-
gale.
The fruit is treated with great care 1t
must be gathered within tweuty-four hours
after it drops. 10 prevent it's falling to the
ground, which Injuries the mace and may
lead to the nutmeg's becoming wormy
When the days harvest has been gather
cd. 1t is soried to separate the ripe fruit
from the unripe. The ripe fruit is then
spread on flooring OF bamboo in the dry
ing house. where a fire smolders constant
~. After about six weeks of drying. n
process that must be very carefully con-
Quoted to insure good results, the nuts
are again sorted and are then coated with
lime, to prevent them from becoming
worm-eaten. The dry process of lining
consists in shaking them with lime in
barrels. or by rubbing them with lime
powder between the hands In the wet
process they ore thrown into fresh-slaked
lime, and then spread out TO dry
The mace owes its market value in a
great degree to its appearance. Drying
robs 1t OF It's scarlet hue. but every ef-
fort Is made to have 1t re-
tain its bright orange color
After being loosened from the NUT
1t Is spread out on wickerwork or mat
ting and left over night. 1t requires in
fine weather, only a few days of drying
During the drying process il is trodden
lat TO keep Il from breaking when packed
The nutmeg grove Is the social meeting
place, us well as the work field, OF the
plantation laborers. From o'clock in
the morning until 3 In the afternoon.
when picking gives place TO sorting. the
wood echoes with merry VOICES. While
the nuts are being skillfuily knocked off
with gaaigaais, as the long -pronged sticks
used for this purpose are called. the
young men and girls arrange matters that
have nothing to do with the nutmeg mar
ket Notice Of the overseer's approa IN
IS given 10 these love-mal<ing couples by
their friends. who initiate the nut-pigeon's
call as a signal. The overseer. however,
Is not likely to disturb them. for he
knows that feature Of Banda couriship
Is the assistance given by the youth 10
his sweetheart in films her baskets. that
she may obtain the premium offered for
extra measure. Only when the assiduous
lovers are discovered "poaching" on one
estate 10 fiji The baskets Of girls employed
on another does the overseer Interfere.
The native dwellings are simple affairs
Of bamboo, but q manager has q comfort
nble brick house, necessarily OF cne-story
only because Of the danger from earth
quakes. a steep roof seemingly quite out
Of proportion 20 the hight Of the house