PEPPER—PIMENTO— GINGER. 



577 



the lower branches, the vine embraces the trunk, covering it with elegant festoons and 

 rich bunches of fruit in the style of the Italian vineyards. The leaf of the pepper 

 plant is large, resembling that of the ivy, and of a bright green ; the blossoms appear 

 in June, soon after the commencement of the rains ; they are small, of a greenish 

 white, and are followed by the pungent berries, which hang in large bunches, resem- 

 bling in shape those of grapes, but the fruit grows distinct on little stalks like cur- 

 rants. This valuable spice grows chiefly on the Malabar coast, in Sumatra, Borneo, 

 Java, Singapore ; its cultivation has also been introduced in Cayenne and the West 

 Indies. The black and white sorts of pepper are both the produce of the same plant. 

 The best white peppers are supposed to be the finest berries which have dropped from 

 the tree, and, lying under it, become somewhat bleached by exposure to weather ; the 

 greater part of the white pepper used as a condiment is, however, the black merely 

 steeped in water, and decorticated, by which means the pungency and real value of 

 the spice are diminished ; but having a fairer and more uniform appearance when 

 thus prepared, it fetches a higher price. 



Jamaica is the chief seat of the magnificent myrtle {Myrtus pimento), which fur- 

 nishes the Pimento — commonly called, by way of eminence, " Spice," or "Allspice" 

 —of commerce. This beautiful tree grows to the height of about thirty feet, with a 

 smooth, brown trunk, and shining green leaves resembling those of the bay. In July 

 and August a profusion of white flowers, filling the air with their delicious odors, 

 forms a very pleasing contrast to the dark foliage of its wide-spreading branches. It 

 grows spontaneously in many parts of the island, particularly on the northern side, 

 in high spots near the coast. When a new plantation is to be formed, no regular 

 planting or sowing takes place, for, as Edwards observes, the pimento tree is purely 

 a child of nature, and seems to mock all the labors of man in his endeavors to extend 

 or improve its growth ; not one attempt in fifty to propagate the young plants, or to 

 raise them from the seeds in parts of the country where it is not found growing spon- 

 taneously, having succeeded. For this reason, a piece of land is chosen, either in the 

 neighborhood of a plantatation already formed, or in a part of the woodland where 

 the pimento-myrtles are scattered in a native state. The land is then cleared of all 

 wood but these trees, which are left standing, and the felled timber is allowed to re- 

 main, where it falls to decay, and perishes. In the course of a year, young pimento 

 plants are found springing up on all parts of the land, produced, it is supposed, in 

 consequence of the ripe berries having been scattered there by the birds, while the 

 prostrate trees protect and shade the tender seedlings. At the end of two years the 

 land is thoroughly cleared, and none but the most vigorous plants, which come to 

 maturity in about seven years, are left standing." The berries are carefully picked 

 while yet green, since, when suffered to ripen, they lose their pungency. One person 

 on the tree gathers the small branches, and three others, usually women and children, 

 find full employment in picking the berries from them. The produce is then exposed 

 to the sun for about a week, when the berries lose their green hue and become of a 

 reddish brown. When perfectly dry, they are in a fit state for exportation. In favor- 

 able seasons, which, however, seldom occur above once in five years, the pimento 

 crop is enormous, a single tree having been known to yield one hundred weight of the 

 dried spice. From its combining the flavor and properties of many of the oriental 

 37 



