BY G. DALTON. 
59 
In a well-run garden, however, one rarely sees the 
first and third kinds. 
Crop. 
To make white pepper, the spikes of fruit are picked 
just as they are turning red and are crushed under foot 
so as to loosen the berries from the stalks ; the whole is 
then tied up in bags and soaked in water from seven 
to ten days. Slowly running water which gets the full 
heat of the sun is best, warm w r ater accelerating the de¬ 
composition of the skin on the pepper corns. When the 
skins have become sufficiently loose (from seven to 
ten days) the pepper is put into tubs and washed and 
stamped upon until all skins and stalks have been extrac¬ 
ted. The pepper corns which remain are then spread 
on mats and dried in the sun and the product is ready 
for the market. 
To make black pepper the fruit is picked not quite 
so ripe as for w r hite pepper, and is as a rule simply dried 
in the sun, the skin drying on to the pepper corn and 
turning black, the pepper is afterwards rubbed by hand 
so as to separate berries from stalks, and the latter are 
winnow r ed out. 
A better method of preparing the article is, after 
picking, to boil the berries in water for a short time, and 
then dry them as above, this renders the skins tougher 
and gives a more uniform colour to the product. 
Pruning. 
This commences as soon as necessary, sometimes 
at the 6th month, but more often later; it is regularly 
done year after year, and in this respect the pepper 
vine differs from many other spices ; the more care and 
attention paid by the gardener in the matter of pruning 
his vines the better his crops will be, the main points 
aimed at are the prevention of any superfluous w'ood, and 
the avoidance of top-heavy vines. The best shape for a 
vine is a perfect cylinder, about 4 feet in diameter 
tapering slightly towards the top. 
Labour. 
A well-run garden should have one coolie to about 
400 vines maximum. 
