22 



BULLETIN 43, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



helpful move. An additional difficulty in introducing the American- 

 grown pepper was found in the uncertainty as to the future of the 

 industry. Dealers felt disinclined to give up old commercial relations 

 for new ones which might not yield the desired quantities year after 

 year. This difficulty was met only by continuing to offer the peppers 

 in increasing quantity until at the present time the home-grown prod- 

 uct is finding an increasingly ready sale in the chief American 

 markets. 



The prices obtained for South Carolina paprika pods showed 

 relatively little variation during the period covered by the experi- 

 ment, but a slight tendency toward improvement was noted, due in 

 part, perhaps, to the better quality of goods produced as the experi- 

 ment progressed and in part to the general market conditions in the 

 paprika trade. 



Table IV gives a summarized statement of the chief financial fea- 

 tures developed by the experiment. 



Table IV. — Financial summary of the experiment in growing paprika. 



Year. 



Average 



yield 

 per acre. 



Average 



price 



per pound. 



Average 

 gross in- 

 come 

 per acre. 



Average 



cost 

 per acre. 



Average 



profic 

 per acre. 



1905 



Pounds. 



1,067 



823 



1,353 



1,127 



Cents. 



9.3 



8.2 



9.3 



10.4 



S98. 78 

 67.84 

 125.13 

 117.45 







1906 







1907 







1908 : 



$29. 30 



$87.92 









1,092 



9.3 



102. 23 



31.97 



70.26 







A review of the items of income and expense, in large part not 

 given here, shows that for the period covered the paprika experiment 

 gave a profit each year, but varied widely according to the weather 

 and other conditions which might affect the success of the operation. 

 Under the most unfavorable conditions experienced, the profits com- 

 pared well with the standard crops of the vicinity, being about $35 

 per acre. Under more favorable conditions the outcome was more 

 satisfactory, the balance remaining after the expenses of growing the 

 crop were met rising as high as $93 per acre. 



It must be borne in mind that various items properly chargeable 

 against the income were not so charged. Among items excluded are 

 the interest on the investment, the deterioration of machinery, and 

 the salary of the Government expert Avho supervised the work. 



Throughout the experiment itemized expense accounts were kept, 

 but since it is believed that the distribution of the expenses in 1908, 

 when the largest area was handled, is fairly representative of what 

 the paprika grower is likely to experience, data were compiled from 

 the results of that year and grouped according to the type of process 



