CHAP. 
376 SPICES 
ally as they only take five months, April to August, 
in Europe. 
Of course, much depends on the climate in the damp, 
hot, equatorial rain forest region of the tropics ; the 
growth of all plants is more rapid than in a country 
with dry seasons or a lower temperature. In the hotter 
and damper countries from two to three months, and 
in dryer or colder climates four or five is approximately 
what may be looked for. 
RETURNS 
The returns of capsicums and bird’s-eye chilies are 
very variously given. A planter in Central Africa, as 
mentioned above, says he got more than 1 lb. weight 
per plant, but from 2 to 3 and even 4 lbs. is said to be 
a good production. These figures are for bird’s-eye 
chilies. 
In Montserrat, the Natal variety of Capsicum 
annuum gave 2,921 lbs. per acre dry, weighing when 
picked 4,850 lbs., the Nepal variety 2,710 lbs., weighing 
7,396 lbs. when fresh. 
Mukerji says that the yield per acre in India is 
from 6 to 15 maunds (a maund is 28 lbs.), which sell 
at 4 to 7 rupees each, giving a value of 24 to 105 rupees 
per acre, on a cost of production of 50 rupees per acre ; 
not a very good business, and, as he says, unless a tract 
is known to be particularly adapted for chilies, it is 
risky growing this crop for profit. 
PRICES 
The price of bird’s-eye chilies dried in London varies 
from £18 to £34 per ton according to their quality and 
the state of the market. Thus, in August 1900, fair 
red Zanzibar sold at £39 : 10s. per ton, good red Japan 
at £33 : 10s. per ton. A sample from the West Indies 
fetched £20 per ton. 
Fresh chilies in Ceylon are worth on the land 10 
