Supplement to the " Tropical Agriculturist." [Nov. I, 1900. 
also cultivated, but the produce from this is 
all consume] locally.'' 
The latest uccouut of Zanzibar chillies is 
contained in the report of Mr. Oonsul Cuve, on 
the trade and commerce of Zanzibar, for the 
year 1897 (Foreign Office, 1898, No. 2129 Annual 
Series): — "The production of chillies has risen 
from 16,336 frasilas in 1896 to IT, 698 frasilas in 
1897, an increase of 77,670 lb. The average price 
was 2 dollars 37 cents per frasila, as against 2 
dollars 57 cents per frasila during the previous 
year,* A better price than this could doubtlesi 
be obtained for Zanzibar produce if a little more 
care and attention were devoted to its culti- 
vation and harvesting, but up to the present time 
it has been allowed to grow almost wild on the 
coral outcrop which covers the eastern portion 
of the island, and the slight personal discomfort 
which attends the handling of pods prevents the 
native from exercising any care in its picking 
and subsequent preparation for market. Attempts 
have lately been made to obtain a better sample 
on ground which has been specially cleared and 
prepared for the purpose, but the results are not 
yet to hand." 
JAPANESE CHILLIES. 
In a note on Recent Additions to the Museum 
of the Pharmaceutical Society {Pharm. Journal, 
11th December, 1897), Mr. E. M. Holmes, F.L S., 
furnished the following interesting particulars, at 
an evening meeting of the Society, respecting 
Japanese and other chillies : — 
'•During the last three or four years there has 
been in commerce a very bright red variety of 
Capsicum minimum, Eoxb, (C. fastigiatum, Bl.), 
said to be imported from Japan. In consequence 
of its clean, bright and attractive appearance- 
it has commanded a higher price than other 
varieties. Mr. J. C. Umney has recently directed 
my attention to the fact that this variety is less 
pungent than the Sierra Leone and Zanzibar 
varieties, although far superior to them in colour. 
On further inquiry I find that this fact is well 
known to drug and spice broker's. Mr. Umney 
points out that when an alcoholic tincture of 
either the Japanese or Zanzibar varieties is 
diluted with about 14 parts of water, the former 
gives a much clearer solution than the latter, 
indicating less oily matter. All the bright red 
Cayenne pepper until recently in commerce is said 
to have been imported from Natal in that state. 
The entire pod pepper imported from Natal is a 
variety of Capsicum annuum, much larger than the 
chillies, and of a dark red colour and very pungent, 
whereas the powdered Japanese and Natal Cayenne 
peppers, placed side by side, are indistinguishable 
in point of colour. The other principal varieties 
of chillies, at present in English commerce are, 
* A frasila:=35 lb. avoirdupois. 
I am informed, those of Sierra Leone and Zanzibar, 
the former being of a yellowish-red tint, and the 
letter of a dull, dark red, and often of inferior 
qualitj', containing badly dried fruits, stalks, and 
foreign matter, but both are more pungent than 
the Japanese kind. The latter is, however, quite 
puugent enough for most people, although perhaps 
unsuitable, by reason of its lesser pungency, 
for medicinal purposes, as an outward application, 
&C. 1 am indebted to Mr. Young, of the firm of 
Messrs. Dalton and young, for information con- 
cerning the different commercial varieties and for 
specimens illustrating them. My object in direct- 
ing attention to these commercial varieties is to 
point out to students and to retail chemists that 
there are often differences in the qualities and 
appearance of the same drug, which are worthy 
of c ireful observation, not only from a scientific, 
but from a commercial point of view. Nepal 
Cayenne pepper is made from a small variety of 
Capsicnm annuum, and is remarkable for its violet 
odour. Neither this kind nor the Zanzibar gives 
a red, but a brownish, powder. 
The following comments on Mr. Holmes' paper 
were made at the meeting by Mr. MacEwan : — 
"The subject of cayenne pepper was interesting 
to many chemists quite apart from medicinal pur- 
poses, probably more capsicum being sold for 
feeding birds than for any other purpose. The 
pepper used in that way was tasteless, and 
seemed to contain a large amount of fatty matter. 
It was dark in colour, and the object was to 
highten the colour of the feathers. It was 
supposed to come from Capsicum aunuum, and 
he should much like to know where it came from. 
It was only supplied by two or three houses, and 
attempts by others to obtain it had not been very 
successful. There was no doubt that the pepper 
as used was an untreated product. The late Dr. 
Brady, on his return from Japan, passing through 
Vienna, came across a comparatively tasteless 
pepper, which caused considerable discussion at 
the time, as there was a large amount of it on the 
market, but the substance had been pretty much 
lost flight of since. He thought it would well 
repay inquiiy, as very little had been done on the 
subject of peppers since Dr. Thresh dealt with 
it about eighteen years ago."' 
According to a writer iu Spons' "Eacyclopsedia," 
Div. v.. p. 1803:— 
" Several varieties of C. annuum have little or no 
pungency ; one of these is abundantly grown 
in Hungary, forming the paprika of the Magyars, 
Another variety, cutivated in Spain, is imported 
into this country iu powder for giving to 
canaries, to improve the colour of t;heir feathers. 
The Nepal capsicums, which have :ia odour and 
flavour resembling orris-root, are the most 
esteemed as a condiment." 
