PEPPERS 253 



they will endure more drought than almost any other garden crop, 

 provided they are growing in rich soil well supplied with humus 

 and are given frequent and thorough tillage. 



Protection from Insects. — From the time the plants are placed 

 in the field until they are killed by the frosts of autumn they are 

 subject to repeated attacks by small black flea beetles which eat 

 little round holes through the leaves. They are also attacked by 

 Colorado potato beetles, especially the adult form. Sometimes 

 these beetles simply cut the midrib of the leaf as if bent on wanton 

 destruction, and thus do much more damage than would be indi- 

 cated by the amount of foliage they devour. The attacks of either 

 of these insects result in a weakening of the plant, which may 

 lead to a partial or complete failure of the crop. It is therefore 

 essential that particular care be taken to prevent a serious attack. 

 For this purpose repeated applications of Bordeaux mixture and 

 Paris green should be made. Sometimes from seven to ten appli- 

 cations are necessary during the season. 



PEPPERS 



Peppers demand about the same temperature and care as 

 tomatoes, though the plants grow more slowly, and must be 

 started under glass a week or ten days earlier than tomatoes in 

 order to reach transplanting size at the same time. For an early 

 crop the seeds are sown in flats in a greenhouse, and the seedlings 

 shifted to two-and-one-half-inch, and later to four-inch pots. 

 Following the last shift the pots are plunged to the rim in the 

 soil of a coldframe, where the plants are hardened-off preparatory 

 to transplanting to the field. For a late crop, the seed may be 

 sown directly in the soil of a hotbed and the plants transplanted 

 to the field without any preliminary shifting or the use of pots. 

 However, except in southern localities, a crop started at all late 

 is likely to be cut short by autumn frosts. 



In transplanting peppers to the field the rows should be placed 

 far enough apart to admit of tillage with a horse — say three feet — 

 and the plants should be from one to two feet apart in the row. 

 Ordinary good tillage is all that is required. The pepper is not 

 usually subject to attack by any insects or diseases; protection 

 from enemies is therefore seldom necessary. The crop is an easy 

 one to grow, provided the plants are started sufficiently early. 



There are two general types of peppers, large and small fruited. 

 The former (Fig. 156) are normally much milder in flavor than 



