Jigured i?i the Botcmical Periodicals. 229 



that are to become props to the pepper vines. These are cuttings of 

 Erythrina Corallodendron, usually called chinkareens; put into the ground 

 about a span deep, and sufficiently early to allow time for a shoot, arising 

 from this cutting, to be strong enough to support the young pepper plant, 

 when it comes to twine about it. The cuttings of the Eryihrina are com- 

 monly 2 ft. in length, but sometimes a preference is given to the length of 

 6 ft., and the vine is then planted as soon as the chinkareen has taken 

 root : the shorter cuttings are usually the more satisfactorily successful. 

 The circumstances which render the Erythrina peculiarly proper for this 

 use are, first, its readiness and quickness of growth, even after the cuttings 

 have been kept for some time in bundles, if put into the ground with the 

 first rains ; and, next, the little thorns with which it is armed enable the 

 vine to take a firmer hold. It is a common and useful practice to steep 

 these bundles in water, and afterwards reject such of them as do not, in 

 that state, show signs of vegetation." 



The pepper vines come into bearing in the third or foiu-th year after 

 being planted. They are reckoned to be in full bearing at the end of five 

 or six years, and they continue so till they are fourteen years old. The 

 labour of cleansing the vines, throwing up earth about their roots, and 

 collecting the produce of a plantation of 4G,000 plants, has been performed 

 by sixteen workmen. Two crops of pepper berries are usually produced in 

 one year. As soon as any of the berries or pepper-corns redden, the 

 entire bunch is reckoned fit for gathering, the remainder being then gene- 

 rally full grown, although green : nor would it answer to wait for the 

 whole to change colour, as the most mature would drop off. The crop of 

 berries is collected in small baskets slung over the shoulder, and with the 

 assistance of women and children conveyed to a smooth level spot of 

 clean hard ground near the pepper garden, or the village, where the berries 

 are spread, sometimes upon mats, to dry in the sun ; but they are exposed, 

 at the same time, to the vicissitudes of the weather, which are not much 

 regarded, nor thought to injure them. In this situation the berries become 

 black and shrivelled, as we see them in Europe ; and, as they dry, are 

 hand-rubbed occasionally, to separate them from the stalk of the bunch. 

 They are then winnowed in large round shallow sieves, and put in large 

 Vessels under the cover of the houses, until the whole crop is gathered, 

 or at least a considerable quantity, when they are conveyed, usually 

 by water, to the Eiu-opean factory. (^But. Mag.) 



Dicotyledonous Monopetalous Plants. 

 CLXX. Ence<s § verce. 

 2192 jrRrcA. 



t Cclseawa Roll. Cels's il i | or 1 my.jn Bt.Ro C. G. H. 1810. C s.p Bot. cab. 1777 



" It is a delicate plant, and bears its beautiful flowers in May and June." 

 (^Bot. Cab.) When the Horhis Britdnnicus was first published, it was not 

 known to which section this species (see No. 9887.) was referable ; by the 

 figure it belongs to the third, which includes the species whose corollas ai-e 

 narrowed upwards, and have a spreading border. 



^rica Linnae«wa superba. In the Bot. Cab. for Feb. 1832, t. 1778., a 

 heath by this name is figured, with corols tubular, villose, and white, tinted 

 with pink. The description states: — " This was raised about 1806, and 

 is believed to be a hybrid plant. It is, without exception, the fastest in 

 growth of all the heaths, shooting sometimes 3 ft. or more in a single sea- 

 son. Its beautiful flowers are produced in summer." Increased easily by 

 cuttings, and likes large pots. The above plant appeai-s to differ from the 

 E. Linnaea«a superba of the Woburn Heaths, which Mr. G. Don has, in 

 Loudon's Hurt. Brit., No. 9477., denominated E. Bedforditaia. 



^rica reflexa is figured in the Bot. Cab. for March, t. 1787., where 

 ai-e these remarks : — "A very elegant species .... It flowers in summer 



Q 3 



