20 



BULLETIN iS, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



T 



defective pods, which may be known as " grade 2," the first-class 

 pods, of course, being referred to as " grade 1." After assorting, the 

 peppers are placed in bags, preferably the 5-bushel size, which hold 

 about 50 pounds of dried pods. They are then stored away as com- 

 pactly as possible until marketed. The peppers should not stand too 

 long in storage, as they deteriorate in value. Rats also are very 

 destructive to peppers. 



YIELD. 



The experimental cultivation of paprika on an acreage basis was 

 begun in 1905, and was continued under careful observation for four 



seasons. During that 

 period the effect of 

 variation in weather 

 conditions had an op- 

 portunity to develop. 

 The degree of com- 

 pleteness of the stand 

 was found to vary as 

 a result of the dif- 

 ferent causes. With 

 increasing familiar- 

 ity with the practical 

 handling of the crop, 

 some variation in 

 yield may have been 

 due to the human 

 factor. It is prob- 

 able that the results 

 reported here may 

 therefore be taken to 

 represent fairly well 

 the range of paprika 

 yields likely to be met under usual conditions, assuming a practice 

 of careful farming. 



In 1905 three acres of paprika were planted, the total yield which 

 resulted being about 3,200 pounds of dried pods, the average yield 

 per acre being about 1,067 pounds. In 1906 two plats were grown. 

 One plat of one-half acre yielded 425 pounds, giving a rate of 850 

 pounds per acre. The other plat of 4 acres yielded 3,280 pounds, an 

 average of 820 pounds per acre. In 1907 a plat three-fourths of an 

 acre in extent yielded 1,015 pounds, or at the rate of 1,353 pounds per 

 acre. In 1908 it was deemed justifiable to undertake the experiment 

 on a larger basis. Plat No. 1, comprising 10 acres of ground, yielded 

 13,969 pounds, an average of 1,396.9 pounds per acre. Plat No. 2, 



•Sca/e of /S-e/ 



/ o / s 3 •? s 6 



Fig. 10. — Ground-floor plan of a paprika curing barn. 



