3S8 REMARKS ON THE SPECIES OP PEPPER, 



vines at Sungt Cluafi *S now in its eleventh year, has 

 been let for three years at seventy picoh yearly, or at 

 the rate of 2^ cattts each plant. It must therefore pro- 

 duce as much more as will pay the tenant for his labour 

 and risk. They are generally let, for the first five 

 years of bearing, or from three to eight years old, at 

 160 pcols per Jaks/ia (10,000) or at 160 faUh for 100 

 vines. 



The vines yield two crops yearly. The first gather-? 

 ing commences at December, after the heavy rains are 

 over ; and at the same time, the vines have put out 

 new flowers. This first collection may be finished in 

 February. The flowers which spread in December 

 have ripened their seeds in April or May. The second 

 collection then begins, and ends in July. During this 

 time, blossoms have expanded, which are to furnish 

 the crop of next December. But, with the most care- 

 ful cultivators, who gather only the bunches which are 

 fully ripe, these two harvests run so nearly into one 

 another, that the collection is in a manner continued 

 without interruption, from December till August ; so 

 that there is only an interv'al of four months in the 

 year, which is the season of the heavy rains. 



The bunches are plucked off entire, taking care to 

 pull only those that are ripe. They are thrown into 

 baskets, and allowed to remain for a day. They are af- 

 terwards spread on mats, and trodden with the feet, 

 to separate the fruit from the stalk. The grain is 

 next winnowed, to clear it from the stalks and the 

 lighter grains ; and the good heavy grains are 

 spread on mats, in the sun, to dry, for three days. 

 It is calculated that one hundred cat/is of green 

 pepper, with the stalks, yield thirty-five caUis of clean 

 and dry pepper. The collection of one day from 



_U. A district near the southern extremity of the island, of which 

 the soil is found peculiarly favourable to Ujc cultivation of pepper. 

 The oldeat vines are in this district. 



