XI 
CAPSICUMS 
375 
and capsicums can be grown in Queensland is amply 
demonstrated in all the northern districts where chilies 
of various kinds have become a weed, and may be seen 
growing on the roadside for miles loaded with red 
chilies. The plant thrives admirably all about the 
south coast districts, and even grows in parts of the 
southern table -land where heavy frosts occur, but no 
commercial use is made of the chilies.- 
An officer of the department of agriculture made inquiries 
of two Brisbane firms, relative to the market for chilies ; one of 
the firms (pickle makers) are large buyers of fresh chilies, and 
give 3d. per lb. for good plump berries in. long. The other 
firm import in connection with their business as pepper manu- 
facturers bird’s-eye chilies, and a few capsicums from the West 
Indies in a dried condition, and pay 6Jd. per lb. for them, or 
about £60 : 13 : 4 per ton. It strikes us as a most extraordinary 
thing that we hear of people struggling to make both ends 
meet in some parts of the north who are, at the same time, in 
the midst of a crop which requires no cultivation, and only 
demands picking and packing to bring grist to the mill. Mean- 
while our local manufacturers have to import chilies from the 
West Indies. Twelve months ago we put up a quantity of 
chilies in a jar of salt and water to test their keeping qualities. 
They have retained their plump, fresh, red appearance, and all 
their pungent qualities, to the present day, thus proving that 
they can be exported to any distance in a fresh state. 
Truly it does seem a little absurd that Australia 
should import chilies when they can be grown with 
such ease. 
CROPPING 
The period which the plant takes to produce its 
fruit is variously stated. In Ceylon, Drieberg says it 
takes two months ; in the Malay Peninsula, about three 
months before the first crop commences. Mukerji, for 
India, gives about five or six months, i.e. from July 
or August to December or February, and a writer in 
the Queensland Agricultural Journal, vi., 1900, states 
that there they take eight months before they begin 
to fruit. This is certainly exceptionally long, especi- 
