368 SPICES 



CHAP. 



earth (the method of making this has already been 

 given), and when this is done the bed is ready to 

 receive the seeds. 



Drain off the water from the seeds and dry them 

 well, and put in some burnt earth or soft earth and mix 

 the mixture well, so that the seeds may be separated and 

 not cling together in a mass. Then scatter the seeds 

 and earth carefully over the prepared ground, being 

 careful not to strew them over one corner only, as the 

 seeds will become spindly and drawn up. The object of 

 this is to separate the seeds as much as possible, not 

 always an easy matter in the case of small seeds, which 

 are apt to adhere together by their sticky pulp. 



During their growth, liquid manure, urine, etc., 

 will do them much good if it is given once a week. 



After fifty days the chili seedlings can be trans- 

 planted to the permanent beds. These beds are made 

 50 ft. long and 3 ft. in width, and 1 ft. apart, so that 

 the planter can get between the rows without injuring 

 the plants, and between each block runs a 5 ft. path. 



The soil of the beds is well worked over and raised or 

 banked up a little. Two holes are made in each row on 

 the outer sides, opposite to each other, about 1^ to 2 ft. 

 apart. Thus you get 50 to 60 plants in each 50 ft. bed. 

 After making the holes, put in first some cow-dung, and 

 then the plants in the centre, covering up the bases with 

 soil from the bed. The chilies are fertilised with liquid 

 manure once every week or oftener. If urine is used, it 

 should be mixed with water in the proportion of three 

 parts of water to two parts of urine while the plants are 

 young, and three parts of urine to two parts of water 

 when they are about a month old. Pig-dung is also 

 used, but water is not added to this. The Chinaman 

 wastes nothing in the way of manure : all excreta of man 

 or beast are valued and utilised. The pigs are kept in 

 long sties with a flooring of sticks, beneath which is 

 a cement tank which receives the excreta of the pigs, 

 waste bits of food, water, etc., through the spaces 

 between the sticks. This forms a valuable liquid 



