The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1912-01-26
Isl |, AN ! Or III |: GLOVE
MOST OF THE WORLDS CROP
COMES FROM ZANZIBAR.
Yield Varies Greatly, but Another and
Steady Product OF the sultanats
10 corpr., Finding Ready
Market In France.

The Sultanate of Zanzibar, just of
the coast Of central Africa. comprises
four islands-Zanzibar. Pemba, Malta
and Lamu: This sultanate produces
perhaps nine-tenths Of the cloves OF
the world. The climate and soil Of
the two islands of Zanzibar and Penn
ba seem peculiarly adapted to the
growing Of this important article.
Many of the trees are. 80 years old, al
though most Of the Glove plantations
On Zanzibar island date from 1872,
when terrific. cyclone swept over it,
doing fearful damage to the trees.
Glove trees begin to bud about JAN
uary or February, and the picking is
done any time after July, continuing
for about four months, as the trees
ripen irregular1y. When the cloves
have been picked they are exposed on
mats to the sun for six or seven days,
and are then sent to the custom house
where the government extracts an ex-
port duty Of Is per cent.
The crop is a very uncertain one. a
heavy yield one year, and compare
lively nothing the next. The bulk Of
the cloves are bought by American,
German and Indian firms, and are sent
to Bombay. Hamburg. London and
New York. Most of the cloves are
used in dtstilling oil Of cloves. which
In turn is employed in the manufac-
ture OF drugs, perfumes, confectioner-
les, etc.
Another great product of Zanzibar
Is copra, which is the dried interior Of
the cocoanut. The cocoanut tres grow
throughout the sultanate without cul-
tivation: land Is sold by the number
OF cocoanut trees on It. A tree will
yield from 100 to 120 nuts year; the
crop is gathered about every four
months. The nuts are split open and
dried In the sun for several days.
when the product is ready for ship
ment. France consumes most Of the
copra, which is used in the manufac.
ture of soap, oil cakes, etc.
Approached from the ocean the
city of Zanzibar presents a beautiful
picture; the snow-white Arab houses
are set against a background Of soft
tropical green; lying close to- the
shore are the hundreds of native
dhows with their quaint sails, while
farther out, in the deep waters, are
the foreign ships. A prominent build
ing on the waterfront is the palace
Of the sultan, which suggests a hotel
at one Of the Atlantic watering places,
with its wide verandas and square Ian.
tern. Back Of the palace are the re-
mains Of the old fort erected by the
Portuguese, and here and there are
to be seen the flags of the consulates
OF the various powers, conspicuous
among them being the stars and
stripes. y
Ali bin Hamoud, the present sultan
of Zanzibar, Is a young man. He sue
coded his father in 1902, when but II
years old, and until hts majority the
sultanate was. UNDER a. regent. The
sultan was educated in England, and
speaks English fluently, as we'll as
French, Arabic and Swahilf. He is
2 great traveller, and spends much Of
his time in Europe; he has a town
palace. and several country places, to
some one of which he usually retfres
aurtng the hot season. The sultanate
8 British protectorate under the for
eign Office.