174 
According to a writer in Spon’s Encyclopedia, Div. V.,p. 1803: 
* Several “varieties of C. annuum have little or no pungency ; 
one of these is abundantly grown in Hungary, forming the 
puo of the Magyárs. Another variety, cultivated in Spain, is 
mported into this country in powder for giving to canaries, to 
"merce the eolour of their feathers. The Nepal capsicums, 
which have an odour and flavour resembling orris-root, are the most 
esteemed as a condiment.’ 
SOUTH AMERICAN PEPPERS. 
The following ris account of the use of peppers in 
South America appeared in the Saturday Review of the 15th 
September, 1886 :— 
* Aji-ajii—Pepper of peppers is the meaning of this compound 
Quichuan word, and both word and thing are largely distributed 
over South America, extending from the Bibo-Bio in the south to 
the ae in mon onis F is also sh geese in the dialects of the 
Gra ct rain n Andaqui, ong the agricultural 
Indians M Chocó, the rari e iala of Potosi) and the Cerro de 
DP “There are "two kinds of aji; but there is only one way of 
preparing it. The best is that which is made from the greatest 
variety of peppers. The pods of these are taken when fresh, 
stripped of their seeds, and ground into a paste of the consistence of 
fresh spring butter. The paste is put into a small, well-dried gourd, 
prepared on purpose, of the size and shape of a well. grown orange. 
'The gourd, when thus charged, is then coated with a layer of well- 
tempered clay, and placed in the sun to dry, or to ripen, as the 
simple people who prepare it say in their own tongue. By the 
time when the clay is well baked, the pulp or paste within has been 
dried into a fine yellow powder, and i is then fit for use. Many people 
ignorant of this fine art of the Incas, have supposed, quite naturally, 
that these aji-laden gourds, with their exquisite flavour and 
refined taste, were some uncommon and little-known natural 
with ne pods, oe Ag aes adds great Apt mad to the pepper, 
and is always used in the preparation of m r Indian corn, 
ahid is bollo in its own husk with much ai. an ii surpasses in 
flavour and pleasantness any vegetable curry of the East. The 
gourds of aji, when ORE ripe, are cleansed of their cup of 
clay, e: up in suitable leaves, well secured by the fibre of the 
aloe, nd mne h resemble when ready for market reeves of large 
their lives in Pieria of MUR daily. newspapers, and quota- 
tions of the state of the markets, had their own special way of 
Sambo aji, mixing with it some delicately-scented bark grou und 
to powder, or other salutary substance known only to the reticent 
* Specimens of these gourds are in the Kew Museum labelled “ Gourds used in 
[x for holding red pepper‘ aji ' (Capsicum spp.), from Mr. H. F, Stahlschmidt, 
