PEPPER. 



(Piper nigrutn L<.) 



The pepperer formed an important member of the community in England during the 

 Middle Ages, when a large proportion of food consumed was salted meat, and pepper 

 was in high request as a seasoner. S. Do well, Taxes in England, IV. 35. 



The plants yielding the black and white ing the rainy season or during the dry 

 pepper of the market are climbing or season in February cuttings are planted 

 trailing shrubs. The stem attains a length about a foot from the trees which are to 

 of from 15 to 25 feet. The climbing por- serve as support. The plants are ma- 

 tions cling to the support (usually large nured and frequently watered during the 

 trees) by means of aerial roots similar to dry season. They begin to yield about 

 the ivy. The leaves are entire, simple, al- the fourth or fifth year and continue to 

 ternate, without stipules. The flowers yield for eight or nine years. The meth- 

 are very insignificant in appearance, ses- ods of cultivation differ somewhat in dif- 

 sile upon a long, slender, pendulous ferent countries. The harvest begins as 

 spadix. They are mostly unisexual, either soon as one or two berries of the base of 

 monoecious or dioecious, that is the stam- the spike begin to turn red, which is be- 

 inate (male) flowers and pistillate (female) fore the fruit is mature. Two crops are 

 flowers are separate, either upon different collected each year, the principal one in 

 branches of the same plant (monoecious) December and January, the second in 

 or upon different plants (dioecious). The July and August. The spikes are col- 

 fruit is berry-like, with a thin, fleshy lected in bags or baskets and dried in the 

 pericarp enclosing a single seed. The sun on mats or on the ground. Ripe 

 young fruit is grass-green, then changes berries lose in pungency and also fall off 

 to red and finally to yellowish when ripe, and are lost. 



In southern India the flowers mature in Pepper is of extreme antiquity. It re- 

 May and June and the seeds ripen five or ceived mention in the epic poems of the 

 six months later. ancient Hindoos. Theophrasttis differ- 



Piper nigrum is a native of southern entiated between round and long pepper, 

 India, growing abundantly along the the latter undoubtedly P. longum. Dios- 

 Malabar coast. It thrives best in rich coridcs/ and Plinius mention long, white 

 soil in the shade of trees to which it clings, and black pepper and dwell upon the me 

 lt also grows in Ceylon, Singapore, dicinal virtues of spices. Tribute has been 

 Penang, Borneo, Luzon, Java, Sumatra levied in pepper. In 408, Alaric the dar- 

 and the Philippines. It is cultivated in all ing ruler of the barbaric Visigoths, com- 

 of the countries named, especially in pelled the conquered and greatly humili- 

 southwestern India. Attempts at its cul- ated Romans to pay as part of the ran- 

 tivation have been made in the West In- som 3,000 pounds of pepper. During the 

 dies. Dark and Middle Ages pepper was a very 



In India the natives simplify the culti- costly article, as is evidenced by the fact 

 vation of pepper by tying the wild-grow- that it was frequently found among royal 

 ing vines to a height of six feet to neigh- presents. The pepper-corn rents, which 

 boring trees and clearing away the under- prevailed during the Middle Ages, con- 

 wood, leaving just enough trees to pro- sisted in supplying a certain quantity of 

 vide shade. The roots are covered with pepper at stated times, usually one pound 

 heaps of leaves and the shoots are each month. The high price of pepper 

 trimmed or clipped twice a year. In lo- was the prime motive to induce the Portu- 

 calities where the pepper does not grow guese to seek a sea-route to India, the 

 wild, well drained but not very dry soil land of pepper. The route via the Cape 

 not liable to inundations is selected. Dur- of Good Hope led to a considerable re- 



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