AMERICAN-GROWN PAPRIKA. 13 



CLIMATIC CONDITIONS. 



The seat of these experiments is in the lower pine belt of the 

 rather level Coastal Plain region. Weather observations for the 

 neighborhood concerned are lacking, but conditions observed at Trial, 

 Berkeley County, S. C, are believed to closely approximate those at 

 Ebenezer and are here cited. Observations for about 17 years show 

 an average crop-growing season (between spring and fall frosts) 

 ranging .from 230 to 240 days. The average date of the last killing 

 frost in the spring is near March 25, and the first killing frost in 

 autumn is about November 10. The latest killing spring frost ob- 

 served occurred on April 20 and the earliest killing frost about Oc- 

 tober 20. The summer temperature rarely reaches 100° F., the sum- 

 mer mean being 78°. The winter minimum reaches zero, the winter 

 mean being 48°. The mean annual rainfall is about 50 inches, the 

 precipitation of the winter, spring, and fall averaging about 10 

 inches each and that of the summer approaching 20 inches. The 

 rain falls at frequent intervals, as is shown by the fact that precipita- 

 tion of 0.01 inch or more was observed on 102 days of the year. 



Under the conditions described the paprika plants enjoy a long 

 growing season with ample and well-distributed rainfall. The plants 

 are in active fruiting condition until the early half of November, and 

 even after that the rather heavy stems contain sufficient material to 

 ripen the larger of the uncolored fruits. In excessively rainy periods 

 the flowers sometimes fail to set fruit, and when such intervals occur 

 during the latter part of the summer the fruit develops an unusual 

 amount of disease and the ripe pods are a little off color. Sunshine 

 is very desirable during the growing season, as it adds brilliancy to 

 the color and assists in bringing about a uniform ripening of the 

 fruit. 



SOIL CONDITIONS. 



The prevailing soil used in this work is a rather coarse sandy 

 loam used formerly for growing tobacco and other crops. Corn, 

 cotton, and cowpeas are standard crops for this type of soil. Favor- 

 able results on other soils, however, justify the statement that pa- 

 prika peppers grow successfully on a wide variety of soil types, pro- 

 vided sufficient fertility is present. They thrive best, however, on a 

 good, mellow, warm soil of either the clay-loam or sand-loam type. 

 The soil should be well drained and still be able to retain a good sup- 

 ply of water. 



PROPAGATION. 



Paprika pepper is propagated exclusively from seed, which may be 

 planted in a seed bed and later transplanted to the field, or the seeds 

 may be planted directlv in the field should climatic and soil conditions 

 permit. 



