LONG PEPPER 323 



to give an artificial strength to wines, beer, spirits, and 

 vinegar. Though it is by no means an injurious drug, 

 an Act was passed in the reign of George III. that no 

 brewer or beer-dealer should have any Grains of Paradise 

 in their possession, or use it in making beer, under a 

 penalty of a fine of 200, and any druggist selling it to 

 a brewer was fined 500. 



The use of it is not, however, so great nowadays as 

 it was in medieval times, when it was one of the main 

 exports from Western Africa. 



It is probable that then the shorter distance which 

 it had to be conveyed, as compared with that of the 

 black pepper of the Indian region, caused its trade to be 

 so extensive, especially as from the same region Guinea 

 pepper (Piper Clusii, DC.), was exported in some quan- 

 tity, though it has long ago disappeared from our 

 markets. 



Melegueta has, however, always held its own as an 

 independent spice, and Queen Elizabeth is said to have 

 been very partial to it. 



Cultivation. I have no record of its cultivation 

 commercially anywhere, but it could doubtless be 

 easily cultivated in the same way as cardamoms, were 

 there a sufficient demand for it. The wild plants, how- 

 ever, seem sufficient to supply all that is needed for the 

 trade. 



