10 THE COMPOSITION OF RED PEPPERS. 



chillies have a slightly bitter, slightly acid, bland taste (similar to 

 that of pimenton) and are mildly pungent; the seeds, a sweetish, 

 bland, mildly pungent taste; and the placentae extremely pungent, 

 containing nearly all the active principle, capsaicin; the ground 

 product has a very pungent taste. The shells from the African 

 chillies have a slightly acid, pungent taste; the seeds, a sweetish, 

 bland, pungent taste, and the placentae, extremely pungent; the 

 ground product has a very pungent taste. 



All the N. Y. samples were taken by the regular United States 

 Treasury samplers by means of coffee triers which were inserted into 

 the packages or bales and the samples allowed to flow out into paper 

 bags, from the various imports as they were received. 



I. S. 3817-C was a portion of a composite sample taken from five 

 original unopened bales, each bale being cut open lengthwise, and 

 about 2 quarts taken with a scoop from approximately the center, all 

 portions mixed, and a small portion of 1 or 2 quarts in volume taken, 

 and again subdivided. A portion of the subdivision was used for 

 analysis. 



I. S. 3818-C was a portion of a composite sample taken from sev- 

 eral bales, each bale being opened at the top and several handfuls 

 taken from each, all mixed, and a small sample taken for analysis. 



I. S. 3819-C was sampled by the same method as I. S. 3818-C. 



I. S. 3820-C was sifted Mombasa pods. This sample consisted of 

 a portion of a lot of Mombasa chillies representing 5 bales, weighing 

 715 pounds before sifting, and from which 5 pounds of dirt, princi- 

 pally sand, were removed by sifting. 



I. S. 382 1-C, sif tings from Mombasa pods, described the same as 

 I. S. 3820-C. This sample showed 62.63 per cent of ash and 51.53 

 per cent of sand. 



I. S. 3822-C was a portion of a composite sample taken from 5 

 bales, each of which was split down the side and about a quart re- 

 moved by a scoop from the center of the bale. A small portion of 

 the composite sample mixed from all 5 bales was taken for analysis 

 These goods represented the same invoice as described under I. S. 

 3820-C, but were unsifted and just as imported. 



I. S. 382 3-0 was a composite of 4 bales, each of which was split 

 down the side and a pound taken from each in the center by a scoop 

 and all 4 pounds mixed together for analysis. The sample repre- 

 sented goods as imported in the original bales. 



In Table 1 have been collected results of analyses of 27 samples of 

 African or Mombasa chillies, 17 samples of Japanese or Kobe chillies, 

 1 sample of Indian or " cherry " chillies, 1 sample of sweet red pepper, 

 and the ash and insoluble ash of 1 sample of siftings. In each in- 

 stance, an analysis was made of the original and of the part which had 

 been carefully sifted with an ordinary coarse 3 mm hand sieve to re- 

 move as much sand as possible. The two analyses are placed on the 

 same line, so that a ready comparison may be made. 



