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 peeper. 



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

 Piper longum, (Nat. Ord. PiperacecB.) (Plate 11. fig. 8.) 



This plant is shrubby and climbing^ bearing its flowers at 

 the ends of short branches^ in spikes or spadiceSy 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 



