VIII 



PEPPERS 287 



" Arsina Murtiga " 1^ Ib. per year, and " Sambar " 

 only f Ib. 



In Cambodia, M. Adhemar Leclerc (Revue des 

 cultures coloniales, VI. ii. p. 117) states that 400 

 vines in full bearing give from 8 to 12 piculs a year. 

 A picul is 133 Ibs., so that this makes 1,064 to 1,596 Ibs. 

 a year for 400 plants, or 2^ to nearly 4 Ibs. a vine. 

 In the Bulletin economique de I'Indo- Chine, 1907, 

 p. 371, M. Le Ray states the average production of a 

 pepper plantation from five to twenty -two years old is 

 very variable, not only from year to year, but also in 

 different spots, according to the amount of care taken 

 in cultivation, and also as to the planter, whether 

 European or Chinese. He gives the following estimates 

 by planters and officials in Cambodia : M. Bouillod 

 declares that more than 3 Ibs. a vine cannot be expected, 

 M. Blanc 3^ Ibs., and M. .Malescot about 3^ Ibs. ; a 

 planter, M. Blanc, says that the average of the vines in 

 good plantations give a little less than 3 Ibs. M. Apavou 

 gives the following table as the scale of production of 

 100 plants of from five to twenty -two years of age : 



Kilos per plant. Kilos. 



Exceptionally good . 3-000 1 plant . 3-000 



Very good . . . 2-400 20 plants . 48-000 



Fine .... 2-100 30 ,', . 63*000 



Fairly good . . 1-600 30 . 48-000 



Passable . . . 1-000 20 24-700 



Total for 100 plants . . . 186700 



or 311 Jibs. 



CURING 



The pepper is gathered into small baskets, and 

 treated differently according to whether black or white 

 pepper is to be made. 



Black Pepper. The spikes are gathered when only 

 a few of the fruits are ripe and red, and spread by 

 women and children on mats to dry in the sun. It is 

 improved, however, by being plunged in boiling water 



