PEPPER. 103 



White Pepper is the same as black pepper, except that 

 the black, wrinkled covering of the seed is removed. To 

 accomplish this, the dried berries are first soaked in water, 

 and when the outer layer is softened they are rubbed until it 

 is removed. The internal seed is of a whitish-grey colour, 

 and when dried constitutes white pepper. It often undergoes 

 a process of bleaching by chlorine, which improves the co- 

 lour, but deteriorates the quality. 



The quantity of pepper imported is immense : the returns 

 of the Board of Trade give 3608 tons for 1851 ; but from 

 this quantity we must deduct about one-sixteenth for Cayenne 

 Pepper and Long Pepper, which are always returned with 

 the above as pepper. 



Long Pepper is the unripe spadix, or fruit-spike, of the 

 Piper longum. (Nat. Ord. Tiperacece.) (Plate II. fig. 8.) 



This plant is shrubby and climbing, bearing its flowers at 

 the ends of short branches, in spikes or spadices, somewhat 

 resembling our common Rib-grass or Plantain-weed, well 

 known as a favourite food for canaries. The seeds are 

 packed so closely on the peduncle as to appear one compact 

 mass ; they are gathered whilst still green, and dried in the 

 sun ; they have a white mealy appearance when dried. 



The Long Pepper is a native of the Circar Mountains of 



