258 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
experienced men prefer this mode of propagation, 
because the vine bears for fourteen years, while the 
cutting-vines bear only for seven years. These, how- 
ever, crop better, and give bigger berries. 
The following account of the method of planting 
pepper from seed is taken from the Indian Agriculturist 
of September 1878. 
Take ripe pepper and put into water for three days, at the 
end of which take off the skin, and after yon have mixed good 
red earth with cow-dung and water, put the pepper into it, 
exposing the same to the sun for three days early in the morn- 
ing and evening : it is necessary that this mixture be neither 
too thick nor too thin. After this, plant the same in an earthen 
pot, every grain at a certain distance, taking care to water them 
every day with a watering-pot until the stalk has four leaves. 
Then dig a hole at the foot of a tree 2 ft. deep, and 9 in. long 
and broad, take cowdung and ashes of all sorts of firewood, put 
it into the hole and mix the same with the ground dug out of 
it, taking care to fill it in such a manner that there only remains 
4 or 5 in. of elevation. Fifteen days later, plant four pepper 
plants in every hole, cover them with earth 2 in. deep. During 
the summer water them every day, morning and evening, and 
cover during the rains. Likewise take care that no water 
remains at their feet by covering them with earth. As soon as 
the rains are over, throw up a circular bank of earth round them 
to contain the water they are watered with. In this manner 
they must be nourished for three years. In the fourth year 
they will begin to give fruit. 
Cuttings . — Pepper is, however, nearly always grown 
from cuttings. These cuttings are made from the tops 
of a bearing vine, as those from running shoots will not, 
as a rule, produce flowers ; old and nearly worn out vines 
should not be used, nor should cuttings be made from 
hardened old stems, but they should be taken from well 
grown healthy vines of a good strain, and in localities 
where the vines are apt to run unisexual. Care must 
be taken not to cut from male vines only. The cuttings 
should show roots at the joints, but most will develop 
them quickly when planted if they do not at first show 
them. There are many different ideas as to the length 
of the cuttings. Many planters make them 1 ft. long. 
