AMERICAN-GROWN PAPRIKA. 11 



Similar data, based on 5 pounds of dry South Carolina paprika, 

 showed almost the same results : Shells, 60 per cent ; seeds, 30 per 

 cent ; and stems, 9 per cent. 



COMMERCIAL CONSIDERATIONS. 



The use of paprika in the United States seems to have come with 

 the advent of Hungarians and other European peoples accustomed 

 to making use of it at home. According to those in touch with the 

 development of the paprika trade, little was heard of this article 

 until about 25 years ago, when a small local city trade in Hungarian 

 paprika sprang up, chiefly in New York. The local demand spread 

 gradually for some years, but during the last decade the appreciation 

 of this condiment seems to have progressed more rapidly and to have 

 involved classes of population other than those originally concerned. 

 The former demand for the rather pungent Hungarian paprika 

 seems to have been overshadowed by the much greater call for the 

 sweeter, deeper-colored, milder Spanish paprika. Thus it has come 

 about that the present paprika importation is overwhelmingly in 

 favor of the Spanish type. Different dealers in touch with the 

 paprika trade estimate that for 1 pound of Hungarian paprika, 3, 

 12, or even 20 pounds of Spanish paprika are imported. Owing to 

 the lack of official statistics on these points it is impossible to verify 

 these estimates, but it is doubtless true that at present the milder 

 Spanish paprika enjoys a much wider popularity than the more 

 pungent Hungarian paprika. 



The dearth of official data just referred to maKes it impossible to 

 estimate with the desired accuracy the volume of the present paprika 

 trade. About two years ago the writers interviewed a number of 

 the chief dealers in paprika of all kinds, and after collecting and 

 comparing the statistics obtained it seemed probable at that time that 

 about 4,000,000 pounds of paprika were imported annually, of which 

 amount about 3,500,000 pounds were from Spain and about 500.000 

 pounds were the Hungarian products. 



The price of paprika, as quoted in American trade publications, 

 deals with the ground article, a fact not to be lost sight of in com- 

 paring prices of paprika products. In fact, practically the entire 

 importation of paprika consists of the powdered condiment. The 

 chief reason for this is perhaps to be found in the cheap-power facili- 

 ties available in Hungary and in Austria for grinding the pods. 1 

 Floating mills, anchored in the streams passing through the paprika- 

 growing regions, provide facilities for milling the pods with the 

 minimum expense. 



The prices of Hungarian paprika are not obtainable from authentic 

 official statistics, but must be sought in the current commercial 



1 Augustin, B£la. Op. cit. 



