CHAPTER XV. 

 CULTURE OF PEPPERS. 



HIS is one of the staple articles grown largely 

 in midwinter in this section of the State. Not 

 only is it a staple, but one of the very best 

 paying vegetables grown here. I have often 

 marveled where the great amount of pep- 

 pers was consumed. It seems that in spite 

 of the increasing acreage grown annually 

 here, the demand is still fair ahead of 

 the supply. We Americans are not slow in picking out the best 

 dishes of our foreign brothers and adapting ourselves and tastes 

 to them. A number of years ago, the pepper industry seemed to 

 be largely controlled by a very few growers in this section, but 

 now it has spread and we are enabled to ship them in car-load lots. 

 As advised in regard to other varieties of vegetables, great 

 care must be taken in the selection of the seed and proper 

 varieties. The Ruby King is probably that which is most widely 

 known here. Of late years quite a few of the variety known as 

 the Chinese Giant have also been grown. The tendency seems 

 to be towards growing thick-fleshed heavy varieties that will 

 remain in a green condition for the longest possible time and 

 stand shipping much better than the thin-skinned and tender 

 varieties. 



Seed-beds for this vegetable should be planted as early as 

 August ist. They must be planted on a rich, moist, well prepared 

 bed and sown thinly in rows similar to those already described for 

 tomatoes. They will be ready to plant out in the open field in 

 about six or eight weeks from the time of sowing, if properly 

 cared for. They are then planted directly in the field and are 

 generally set about twelve to eighteen inches apart in the row, 

 the rows being about three feet apart. If they have not been 



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