September, 1908.] 



247 



Miscellaneous Products. 



many well-formed berries. As every- 

 body knows, the white pepper and 

 black pepper of commerce are products 

 to the same vine, the difference between 

 them depending simply on after treat- 

 ment of the picked berries. Botauically 

 speaking, black pepper is the eutire 

 fruit, whilst white pepper is the seed 

 only. When preparing white pepper 

 the spikes of fruit are picked off just as 

 they are turning red ; the berries are 

 loosened from the spike stalk by press- 

 ing underfoot. These berries are col- 

 lected and tied up in large bags which, 

 with their contents are allowed to soak 

 in water for a week or ten days. It is 

 usual to arrange for running water 

 which receives the full heat of the sun 

 as the decomposition of the skin on the 

 pepper corns is thereby accelerated. 

 When the skins have become sufficiently 

 loose, the pepper is put into tubs where 

 it is stamped under-toot and well washed 

 until all the skins and stalks have been 

 removed. Finally, the pepper corns 

 vvnich remain are spread out on maCs 

 and dried in the sun ; the product is now 

 ready for the market. 



In making black pepper, the fruit is 

 picked before it is ripe, earlier thau 

 would be the case if white pepper 

 were the object. It is then spread out 

 on mats to dry in the sun, and as 

 it dries, the skin of the pepper corn 

 turns black ; afterwards it is rubbed by 

 hand so as to separate the berries from 

 the stalks which latter are winnowed 

 out. A better method of preparing the 

 article is to boil the fresh berries in 

 water for a short time and then dry 

 them as above. In this way the skins 

 are rendered tougher and the skins have 

 a more uniform colour. 



Insecticides-— -The spikes of flowers and 

 of fruits of the pepper vine are the 

 victims of insect attack, aud to prevent 

 partial or even entire loss of the crop it 

 is absolutely necessary to resort to in- 

 secticides. The Chinaman always em- 

 ploys for this purpose a watery extract 

 of crushed ' tuba ' (Derris eliptica) and 

 strong tobacco. This is applied to the 

 flowers from a syringe, and it proves 

 very effective ; the smell of the tobacco 

 clings to the garden for several days. 

 The proportions commonly adopted are 

 one catty of ' Tuba,' one catty of tobacco, 

 and five gallons of water ; such a quan- 

 tity would be sufficient for ten vines. 

 It is usual to apply the insecticide 

 three times, at intervals of a week or 

 more, while the fruit is setting. This 

 insecticide, although excellent for its 

 purpose, is comparatively expensive ; in 

 1907 the price of 'Tuba' was 8-12 cents 

 per catty and of tobacco 35 cents per 

 catty. 



Labour.— It usually happens that the 

 man in charge of a pepper garden is 

 also the owner— it is often heavily mort- 

 gaged—and this man may be sufficient 

 for a small garden. However, as already 

 mentioned, the pepper vine requires 

 much personal care, and it is found that 

 one coolie cannot properly deal with 

 more than 400 vines. In gardens of 1,000 

 vines or more it is the custom to 

 employ one or two " Sinkehs " (inden- 

 tured coolies), who cost from $30 to 60 

 each for the year, not counting food and 

 clothing. With a good gardener to look 

 after them their work is better and 

 cheaper thau that of the ordinary free 

 coolie who works for a monthly wage. 



The foregoing represents in brief 

 outline the unvarying routine of a 

 Chinaman's pepper garden. When the 

 price of peppur was high it was possible 

 to make large profits, but at the present 

 day with an abnormally low price for 

 the product, it is difficult for the average 

 gardener to pay his way. So depressed 

 is the industry that hundreds of gardens 

 have been completely abandoned of late 

 years, and only those are likely to con- 

 tinue who, having a little capital of 

 their own, can afford to run the concern 

 unassisted by the merchant money- 

 lender. 



At the present time (1908) the price of 

 pepper in Kuching is $17 perpicul, where- 

 as a few years ago it had reached a 

 price of more thau $60 per picul. (The 

 exchange value of the dollar was then 

 only about f of the present dollar.) 



Considering the magnitude of the 

 pepper industry it is somewhat unfor- 

 tunate that so little has been attempted 

 in the way of possible improvements in 

 the methods of working. It is very 

 unlikely that the Chinese agriculturist 

 will care to experiment with western 

 novelties, but nevertheless it would 

 seem quite possible that some appreci- 

 able reductions in the cost could be 

 effected ; and thereby an industry 

 which is threatened almost with extinc- 

 tion could be considerably resuscitated. 

 The Chinese gardener is at present 

 oblieed to endure unnecessary expense 

 in his insecticide and apparently also in 

 the manure. The costly item of the 

 insecticide is tobacco, and so far a satis- 

 factory substitute has not appeared. 

 Very recently, a series of interesting 

 experiments have been conducted by 

 Mr- R. E. Hose of Busau in the hope of 

 providing cheaper insecticides and arti- 

 ficial manures, but the results are as yet 

 inconclusive. These experiments have 

 certainly proved the excellence of the 

 Chinaman's insecticide, and although it 

 will no doubt be possible to replace it 



