The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1880-01-07
The Spices OF Commerce.
NO. III.
PEpPER.

indigenous to the forests of Malabar
and Travencore. For centuries pep
per has been an article of expectation
to European countries from the west
ern coast of India. Although pro-
duct of many countries in the east,
that which comes from Malabar is &C.
knowledged to be the best. In 1874
there was 23,179 pepper vines scat
tered over the territory of French
India. sttts'51 IL ls u.
It's cultivation is very simple, and
is effected by cuttings or suckers put
| down before the commencement of
the rains in June, in a rich and toler-
ably moist soil. In three years it be.
gins to bear, each plant yielding on
an average two pounds of pepper per
annum up to fifteen or twenty years,
after which they begin to decline.
The crop is gathered in March or
April; the fruit is plucked when not
quite ripe, and usually dried on mats
in the open air. White pepper differs
from black only in being deprived OF
the outer skin by short maceration
in pure water and subsequent gentle
rubbing; it is somewhat smaller, of
a greyish white color, and with less
aromatic taste. ~
The small, round, berry-like fruit
grows somewhat loosely, to the num-
Der of twenty to thirty, on a COM
mon pendulous fruit-stalk. They are
at first green, then become red, and
if allowed to ripen, yellow; but they
are gathered before complete matuy
rity, and by drying in that state turn
blackish-grey or brown. When one
or two berries at the base of the
spike begin to turn red the whole
spike is punched of. Next day the
berries were rubbed off with the
hands, picked clean and dried for
three days in the sun or in bamboo
baskets near a gentle fire. 49,
| The plant is capable of growing
to height of 20 to 30 feet, but for
the sake of convenience it is usually
kept low, and is often trained on
poles. In places where no vines oc.
cur naturally, the plant is propagat.
ed by setting slips near the roots of
the trees on which it is to climb. An
acre Of land will bear $500 plants,
and as they require but little care,
| the cost of cultivating and bringing
into bearing one acre does not ex-
coed "a at the most, and as the an
nual yield, when the plants come
into bearing, is worth upward of $50
the investment is very profitable
one.
The pepper vine is hardy and ca
silly cultivated, and as its produce is
of such great commercial impor.
lance, it may well be worth trying
whether it could not be successfully
grown in other localities under con-
genial conditions of climate and soil.
The choice for proper site for the
plantation is consideration OF the
first importance. Level ground ly.
ing along the banks of rivers and
rivulets is to be preferred, both on ac-
count of the vegetable mould COM
monty found in soil so situated, as
well as on account of the facilities Of
water-carriage which such a situation
generally affords. But the land
should never be SO low as to be liable
to inundation. Declivities, unless
very gentle, are to be avoided, be-
cause the soil loosened by culture is
liable to be washed away by heavy
rain. Plains, whether naked or COW
cred with long grass, will not answer,
unless broken up we'll with the plow
and enriched by manure. Above all,
the pepper vine loves moist climate.
In Malabar the pepper vine is often
raised from seed, and experienced
men have been known to express a
decided preference for this mode OF
propagation, because the vine so
raised bears for fourteen years. On
the other hand, though the cuttings
yield for only seven years, or just
halt the period, the crops they give
are greater, and the berries are both
of larger size and of superior quality.
1t is for this reason, therefore, that in
Malabar the cultivation is practiced
with cuttings or suckers, which are
put down into the ground before the
rain sets in, in June. The soil must
be rich, but it should also be free
from any accumulation OF moisture
below, or the young plants are apt TO
rot. The cuttings are usually planted
at the foot of trees with rough bark,
on which the vine as it grows finds
support. The creeper will climb up
| about twenty or thirty feet. hut IL Is