AMBOINESE HERBAL Book II. Chap. II.

Among other fruit-bearing trees, such as the Canarium The Java almond, Gajang The Tahitian chestnut, Calappus The Coconut palm etc., if these are rooted out, the Clove tree gradually withers and languishes, producing fewer fruits. Care must be taken, however, that such fruit trees do not overwhelm the Clove with their shade, but always stand far enough apart so they do not touch one another. It has likewise been observed that when the Clove is planted or committed to the earth in high, uncultivated forests, this tree grows quite tall and produces large leaves, but bears few fruits; indeed, it degenerates entirely into another species called Wild Cloves original: "Silvestres Caryophylli" / "wilde Nagelboomen", which have no aromatic power, though this happens rarely and is therefore little known.

When the Cloves begin to turn red or bloom, it is considered unhealthy to walk for long in such forests, as they cause headaches original: "Cephalalgiam"; this, however, is to be attributed more to the sweltering months of October and November.

Trees that sprout from Mother-cloves original: "Anthophyllis" / "Moernagels"; these are seeds from cloves left to ripen fully on the tree grow very tall and vigorously, most with a single straight trunk. However, since these are very difficult to climb and produce more leaves than fruit, the inhabitants despise them. For this reason, they mostly transplant the trees; for although the transplantation of these saplings is laborious and uncertain until they reach the height of a man, they then spread their branches much wider, offer an easier ascent, and yield better and more abundant fruit. They should not be planted in sandy or hard clay soil, nor where sedge-grass grows, but they grow happily in black soil, beneath which, at the depth of a palm's breadth, a dark yellow earth is found, mixed here and there with larger pebbles. As was said, the place should be shaded by small trees, such as the wild trees under which the herb Ruttu Ruttu (a certain species of earth-moss) grows abundantly. What further specific precautions the inhabitants observe regarding the planting of these saplings, to rightly cultivate these tender Clove trees, would not be useful to relate in full.

In the Molucca Islands, the young trees used to produce fruit in the seventh or eighth year, but in Amboina in the tenth or twelfth year of their age; it would then be useful to let those first fruits fall off of their own accord, as this greatly favors the growth of the tree. Formerly, there was a bountiful harvest of these fruits every three years in Amboina, but now it mostly occurs every four years.

Indeed, on the coast of Hitoe, that bountiful harvest is often extended to the sixth or seventh year, the cause of which is that the inhabitants treat the trees quite harshly and rudely when they collect the fruit, often tearing away so many and such large branches that a long time is required before they can repair the damage received. The smaller intervening crops are called Moesson Salattan, that is, Southerly Monsoons original: "Zephyreæ tempestates" / "Zuid-saysoen", since the continuous southerly winds bring many cold rains, which cause nothing but leaves to sprout instead of the first fruit buds. Moreover, that great harvest or more fertile season is not equal in all places, nor does it occur at the same time, so that one region of the land produces an excellent crop while another neighboring it produces almost nothing. The collection of Cloves is performed in the following manner: If the Cloves in the clusters appear red, and flowers show themselves here and there, and most of the leaves nearest the cluster fall off, then the collection of these fruits must be undertaken with all effort. First, the ground beneath the trees is cleared and swept with brooms; then some climb the tree and pull the nearest twigs toward them with their hands, breaking off the clusters of fruit with their hands. They draw in the more distant branches with hooked bamboo sticks and again pluck the clusters, which they put into baskets or, for the most part, throw to the ground. Others standing on the ground often tear off whole branches, by which pulling so many branches are broken that the tree must then rest for several years before it recovers its strength. Those act even more rudely who, with snares made of Rattan and Goemut Fiber from the sugar palm ropes, pull the upper branches down by force, or beat the branches with long sticks, whereby the trees are greatly damaged. However, those who hold their trees in higher value will not employ this method of gathering, and will do no more than lightly pluck the topmost clusters.

These plucked green Cloves are in some places, especially in Larique, first dipped in hot water, then covered with broad leaves, and on rafters in the smoke...