h has a pale stem; the kiri or loory clove;
the royal clove, which is very scarce, and the wild clove. The three
first are equally valuable as spices, the female clove being
considered fittest for the distillation of essential oil. The wild
clove, having scarcely any aromatic flavor, is valueless.

The produce which may be expected from the tree seems to be uncertain;
it may, however, be averaged at five or six pounds. A clove tree, well
weeded and taken care of, will produce from five to twenty pounds. On
the other hand, a tree that is neglected will not give above two or
three pounds. At intervals of from three to six years they usually
produce one extraordinary crop, but then a year now and then
intervenes, when they yield none at all; in others they will afford a
double harvest.

The clove tree was originally confined to the five principal Molucca
islands, and chiefly to Machean. From these it was conveyed to
Amboyna, a very short time only before the arrival of the Portuguese.
By them the cultivation was strictly restricted to Amboyna, every
effort being made to extirpate the plant elsewhere.

It has now, however, spread to Java, Singapore, and the Straits'
Settlements, Ceylon, the Mauritius and Seychelles, Bourbon, Zanzibar,
Cayenne, Dominica, Martinique, St. Kitts, St. Vincent, and Trinidad.

Cloves contain a volatile oil, associated with resinous, gummy, and
astringent matter, which is yielded in larger proportion than by any
other plant. Neuman obtained by distillation two ounces and two
drachms from sixteen ounces of cloves. On an average cloves yield from
17 to 22 per cent. of oil, including the heavy and light oils. The oil
is aromatic and acrid, and has been used as a condiment and a
stimulant carminative. It is also extensively used by distillers and
soap makers.

It is said that the clove does not thrive well on the soil of Java,
the plantations of which trial had been made not having succeeded to
the extent expected, although they were directed by skilled persons
from Amboyna; the places they made choice of did not differ materially
as to soil and climate from those of the Moluccas.

M. Teysman, Director of the Botanical Gardens at Batavia, seems to
have bestowed much attention on the subject. The exports however from
the island have been considerable. In 1830, there were 803 piculs
shipped; in 1835, 4,566; in 1839, 2,334; in 1843, 2,027 piculs of 133
lbs.

M. Buee, who introduced the culture of