76 THE SEED-GROWER. 
sinks through the sieve and settles to the bottom of the 
vat. When seed is thoroughly clean it is spread thinly 
on drying screens, or on trays, which are set in the sun 
and air to dry. When thoroughly dry, and before 
storing, it is given a final cleaning in the fan-mill. 
On a small scale, pods may be mashed or crushed in 
a barrel, or may be ground in a portable wine or cider 
mill, and washed ina tub ora barrel of water, using 
hand sieves of suitable mesh. 
Pepper pulp is not usually allowed to ferment, as it 
will darken the color of seed; if any fermentation is 
given it should be very slight. Some growers instead 
of crushing the pods simply cut off the stem end and 
take out the seed core; the empty pods are then sold at 
about 10 cents per pound to pickle men and manufac- 
turers of pepper slaw. 
To Save Stock Seeds and Seeds for Private Use. 
—Select the earliest, largest and best-shaped pods. 
These may be hung to a rafter in a dry, airy room; seeds 
keep better and are preserved best in their dried pods. 
Market.—Pepper seed is handled by all seed-dealers 
in a moderate way, being sold at retail usually by the 
ounce, or in small packets, except in-the South, where 
it is planted extensively for market and sold in larger 
quantities. The estimated yearly consumption in this 
country is upwards of 50,000 pouuds. The great bulk 
of it, especially the mild, sweet varieties, is produced 
at present in California, New Jersey, and in the South; 
some ‘‘hot’’ varieties are imported. Pepper seed may 
be grown with profit in any of the Statcs, especially the 
South. 
In a favorable season, yield of seed is about 200 
pounds per acre; prices paid to growers rule from fifty 
to sixty cents per pound. 
