PLANTS OF PRINCE OF WALES ISLAND. 65 



During this time blossoms have expanded, which are to furnish 

 the crops of next December. But, with the most careful 

 cultivators, who gather only the bunches which are fully ripe, 

 these two harvests run so nearly into one another, that the 

 collection is in a manner continued without interruption, from 

 December till August ; so that there is only an interval of four 

 months in the year, which is the season of the heavy rains. 



The bunches are plucked off entire, taking care to pull 

 only those that are ripe. They are thrown into baskets, and 

 allowed to remain for a day. Then they are spread on mats, 

 and trodden with the feet, to separate the fruit from the stalk. 

 The grain is then winnowed, to clear it from the stalks and the 

 lighter grains ; and then the good heavy grains are spread on 

 mats, in the sun, to dry, for three days. It is calculated that 

 one hundred catties of green pepper, with the stalks, yield 

 thirty five catties of clean and dry pepper. The collection of 

 one day from 46,000 plants of three years old, was 500 catties 

 of green, or 175 of dry pepper. 



It is usual, as was before noticed, when the plantation is 

 delivered over to the proprietors at the end of three years, to 

 let it to a Chinese farmer for five years more ; as the proprietor 

 is thereby less liable to imposition, the only precaution necess- 

 ary being to see that the tenant is careful of the vines during 

 the last year, and leaves them in good condition at the expiration 

 of the lease. This is the only way in which an extensive 

 plantation, or one whereon the proprietor cannot bestow his 

 whole attention, can be managed to advantage. But, if the 

 proprietor has time, and is careful and acute, he may render it 

 something more productive, ,by keeping it in his own hands. 

 The labour of cleaning the vines, throwing up earth about the 

 roots, and collecting the produce of the plantation above 

 mentioned, of 46,000 plants, was performed by sixteen Chinese 

 workmen. 



In an Appendix to a letter from the Superintendent of 

 Prince of Wales's Island, dated 12th of November 1796, is an 

 estimate, whereby it would appear that a plantation of 100,000 

 vines should yield, at the end of twelve years, a clear profit to 

 the proprietor, of 153,000 Spanish dollars. But the value of 



R. A. Soc. No. 53, 1909- 



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