A B C OF FLORIDA TRUCKING 109 



fertilizer that will anahze as follows : Ammonia, 5% ; pot- 

 ash, 9/f ; available phosphoric acid, 4Sc. }ilake the rows 

 two and one-half to three feet apart, setting the plants from 

 one to one and a half feet apart in the row. Cultivation 

 should be carried on thoroughly and deeply until the plants 

 begin to put on fruit, after which time cultivate just as 

 constantly, but not so deeply; all that is necessary is to 

 keep the top la)'er of soil well stirred. It is a good idea to 

 give the plants from 300 to 400 pouiids of fertilizer to the 

 acre every fifteen days from the time they start to bear un- 

 til they finish. Being a continuous bearer, they require 

 constant feeding. An acre of peppers well worked and fer- 

 tilized will yield a thousand crates or more to the acre, and 

 $1.00 per crate f. o. b. your station is considered a fair av- 

 erage price, although at times when they are scarce they 

 will easily bring as high as $6.00 per crate. 



PICKING AND PACKING. 



Pick the fruit as soon as it is plump and hard ; but under 

 no condition pick it before it is well developed, for one or 

 two undeveloped peppers in a crate hurts the sale of the 

 entire lot, as they wither and rot very quickly. Do not 

 pull them from the plant, but cut them with a pair of shears. 

 Sort the peppers carefully, throwing out any which show 

 defects. If they are bringing high prices on the markets 

 pack in six-basket tomato crates, but if they are only bring- 

 ing $1.50 or less, pack them in bushel hampers. In pack- 

 ing jar the crate frequently to shake them down, then fill 

 it up again so it will go into market full. 



INSECTS AND DISEASES. 



The principal disease which aflfects the pepper is known 

 as the black rot, but if you will spray the plants frequently 

 with Bordeaux mixture this can be prevented. If the green 

 worm or caterpillars attack the plants spray with arsenate 

 of lead and water. fSee chapter on Insecticides.) 



