246 



PEPPER, RED. PLUM-TREE. 



common in France, as the making of apple-pies is in Britain, 

 and what is favourable to the practice is, that bad eating 

 sorts answer best for drying. The wood of the pear-tree is 

 light, smooth, and compact, and is used by turners, and to 

 make joiners' tools, picture-frames to be dyed black, &c. 

 The leaves will produce a yellow dye, and may be used to 

 give a green to blue cloth." — Loudon, 



PEPPER, RED. — Capsicum. — This plant requires a 

 warm, rich soil, and a favourable exposition. The seeds 

 may be placed in rows, three feet apart, or in hills, at that 

 distance from each other. In dry weather they will need 

 watering, and should be kept clear of weeds by frequent 

 hoeiDg. The seeds are best preserved by running a string 

 through the pods, and hanging them in a dry place. 



Use, — " Pepper is an excellent spice, which should 

 always be coarsely ground, and eaten only with fat, smoked, 

 or tough animal food ; with cabbages, cucumbers, and other 

 flatulent and cold vegetables ; and likewise with fish, and 

 all substances that are difficult to be digested. On the 

 continent of Europe, this spice is highly esteemed for its 

 efficacy in relieving flatulency, weak, or impaired digestion, 

 and the giddiness which generally accompanies the com- 

 plaint last mentioned. For this purpose, from six to ten 

 grains are directed to be swallowed every morning, previ- 

 ously to taking food ; such practice, however, ought to be 

 adopted only in cases where the stomach is in a high de- 

 gree vitiated, or the patient has been habituated to the free 

 use of spices and spirituous liquors." — Dom. Encyc, 



PLUM-TREE. — Prunus domestica, — This tree is found 

 growing wild in Great Britain and other parts of Europe ; 

 but its native country is supposed, by European writers, to 

 be Syria, in Asia. It is also indigenous in North America, 

 and a wild kind, found in the woods of Vermont, grows 

 large and fair, but its fruit contains little saccharine matter. 

 No doubt it might be improved by culture, and may fur- 

 nish stocks for grafting. Some of the most approved varie- 

 ties are enumerated under the head Fruit, p. 136. 



Soil and cultivation, — Plums, according to Miller, should 

 have a middling soil, neither too wet and heavy, nor over 

 light and dry. Armstrong recommends argillaceous soils, 

 not very wet nor very dry. " Where, from previous cul- 

 ture, or accidental causes, the earth becomes either very 

 rich or very poor, the tree does not succeed. In the one 

 case, its vigour is directed only to the production of wood 

 and foliage; and in the ot^er, its growth is feeble, audits 



