PIMENTO OR ALLSPICE. 203 



enne pepper. Many of the pod peppers are imported pickled, or pre- 

 served here in bottles. 



The Common Red Pepper (capsicum), much cultivated in our gar- 

 dens, is a valuable spice. It requires a warm, rich and exposed soil. 

 The seeds are planted in rows or hills 3 feet apart, and the plants hoed 

 and watered occasionally. The seeds are preserved by running a 

 string through the pods when picked, and placed in a dry place. It 

 should be coarsely ground and eaten with fat and coarse animal food, 

 cabbages, cucumbers and other cold vegetables. It is highly esteemed 

 as a pickle and for the relief of flatulency, impaired digestion, giddi- 

 ness, &c., taking 6 to 10 grains before breakfast, more especially when 

 the stomach is torpid or vitiated. 



1'IMENTO, or ALLSPICE, myrtus pimento, a native tree of S. 

 America and W. Indies. That of commerce is chiefly imported from 

 Jamaica. The tree is 30 feet high and very beautiful, abounding with 

 white flowers in July and August, and exhaling a rich perfume. The 

 leaves, when bruised, evolve an aromatic odor like that of the fruit, 

 and by distillation a delicate oil which is often used as a substitute for 

 that of cloves. It grows spontaneously on the northern coast of the 

 above island. The plantations are formed by selecting a spot where 

 they grow and cutting down all other trees and allowing them to decay 

 on the soil. Young pimento plants spring up abundantly the follow- 

 ing year, and the second year the land is cleared of all else than vig- 

 orous plants. In 7 years these attain their height. Few attempts to 

 propagate the plant succeed. 



The berries are picked while green, by hand, the small branches 

 being gathered and the fruit picked from them. The berries are then 

 spread on floors exposed to the sun for a week, or are kiln-dried, -when 

 they turn a reddish brown and are exported. A single tree has been 

 known to yield 150 Ibs. of the raw or 100 of the dried fruit. The 

 plantations are very profitable, but an abundant harvest occurs once 

 in 5 years. The fruit is sometimes called Jamaica pepper, but com- 

 monly Allspice, because its flavor resembles that of cloves and nut- 

 megs. It has an aromatic and agreeable odor and taste. It is import- 

 ed in bass of 1 cwt. each. G. Britain imported in 1840, 905,888 Ibs. 

 and the U. S. to the value of $121.545. 



The composition of pimento is chiefly volatile oil 10, green do. 8, as- 

 tringent extract 11, lignin 50, with coloring matter, gum, water, $c. 

 Though used principally in cookery, yet it is taken for a relaxed con- 

 dition of the stomach, and like cloves, to relieve flatulency, and with 

 nauseous medicines, to prevent griping, &c., in doses of 10 grains to a 

 drachm. The oil is obtained by distillation. The pimento oil of the 

 shops is this and that of cloves. It is also used medicinally for the 

 tooth-ache, and to correct tonic and purgative medicines dose, 2 to 6 

 drops. From this is prepared the water of pimento, or from the bruised 



