368 
SPICES 
CHAP. 
earth (the method of making this has already been 
given), and when this is done the bed is ready to 
receive the seeds. 
Drain off the water from the seeds and dry them 
well, and put in some burnt earth or soft earth and mix 
the mixture well, so that the seeds may be separated and 
not cling together in a mass. Then scatter the seeds 
and earth carefully over the prepared ground, being 
careful not to strew them over one corner only, as the 
seeds will become spindly and drawn up. The object of 
this is to separate the seeds as much as possible, not 
always an easy matter in the case of small seeds, which 
are apt to adhere together by their sticky pulp. 
During their growth, liquid manure, urine, etc., 
will do them much good if it is given once a week. 
After fifty days the chili seedlings can be trans- 
planted to the permanent beds. These beds are made 
50 ft. long and 3 ft. in width, and 1 ft. apart, so that 
the planter can get between the rows without injuring 
the plants, and between each block runs a 5 ft. path. 
The soil of the beds is well worked over and raised or 
banked up a little. Two holes are made in each row on 
the outer sides, opposite to each other, about to 2 ft. 
apart. Thus you get 50 to 60 plants in each 50 ft. bed. 
After making the holes, put in first some cow-dung, and 
then the plants in the centre, covering up the bases with 
soil from the bed. The chilies are fertilised with liquid 
manure once every week or oftener. If urine is used, it 
should be mixed with water in the proportion of three 
parts of water to two parts of urine while the plants are 
young, and three parts of urine to two parts of water 
when they are about a month old. Pig-dung is also 
used, but water is not added to this. The Chinaman 
wastes nothing in the way of manure : all excreta of man 
or beast are valued and utilised. The pigs are kept in 
long sties with a flooring of sticks, beneath which is 
a cement tank which receives the excreta of the pigs, 
waste bits of food, water, etc., through the spaces 
between the sticks. This forms a valuable liquid 
