502 PIP 
in the ftove, for they are too tender to bear the incle¬ 
mency of our weather in fummer. 
i. The introduction of this valuable plant into culti¬ 
vation in the Eaft Indies, was effe&ed by Dr. William 
Roxburgh in 1787. He found that the black pepper 
grew wild in the hills fifty miles to the north of Samul 
Cotah, at a place called Rumphah, about 17 0 N. lat. and 
82° E. Ion. from Greenwich; and not only there, but in 
almoft every valley among thefe hills. For prop-trees he 
ufed Erythrina corallodendron, called moochy-wood tree, 
or muricu. In 1788 he had completed three plantations 
containing 4.750 prop-trees, with two pepper-vines to 
each; and had befidesabout 10,000 plants in the nurfe- 
ries. The trees were fet in quincunx-order, at fix, eight 
and ten, feet afunder. One thoufand plants will yield 
from 5001b. to looolb. In 1789 his plantations contained 
between forty and fifty thoufand pepper-vines, occupying 
about fifty acres of land. The foil they thrive beff on, is 
a mixture of red clay and fand. 
The pepper-vine fhould be planted in a low' firm 
ground. In the beginning of June, when the rain falls 
inceflantly, at the foot of a jack, mango, cajou, muricu, 
or any other, tree, whofe bark is rough or prickly, dig a 
hole one foot deep, the breadth and length fix inches; 
into this hole put a piece taken from the extremity of 
one of the branches of a pepper-vine; then fill it up 
with earth, taking care no water is therein, and that none 
may remain after planting ; in the month of July the 
roots will extend themfelves in the ground, and the 
fprouts will appear on the furface, when they are to be 
tied to a tree, and a circular bank of earth thrown up 
round them, that they may enjoy the moiltnefs of the 
water which remains on the ground, and be thereby kept 
from being inflamed by the heats, which fubfift from the 
month of July tili OClober. When the rains are over, 
cover the root of the vine with frefli leaves, it matters not 
from what tree, fo they have the quality of cooling; if 
the ground is too dry, water the fame, morning and even¬ 
ing ; but, if it is entirely cool, twice in eight days is fuf- 
ficient: then plant five or fix fprigs at the foot of the 
fame tree, taking particular care they no ways touch one 
another. Ten days after the rains are fet in, remove the 
leaves that cover the root of the vine, pull up the grafs 
that may have grown near them, and demolilh the circu¬ 
lar bank of earth made to contain the water, that none 
may remain at the foot of the tree; in the month of A11- 
guft repeat the fame. The vines are to be cheriflied in 
this manner for three years. It mull be obferved, that 
the foot of the vines fhould be covered every year, in the 
manner before mentioned. The leaves ought likewife to 
be removed in the month of June, to prevent the white 
ant from eating the root of the vine, thofe vermin being 
much given to eat the leaves, which the rain draws into 
the ground, and thereby come to the roots of the vine, 
which they prey upon likewife. Thefe pepper-vines 
ought not to be planted at the foot of trees whofe bark 
is Imooth, as they will in confequerice fall to the ground : 
therefore always make choice of thofe that are rough and 
prickly. 
Trees, planted for the fupport of pepper-vines, ought 
to be fifteen or fixteen feet afunder; if clofer, the branches 
will fliade the vines from the fun, as they ought to receive 
a moderate heat. 
Pepper-vines, planted in ftor.y foil, will not produce any 
fruit, becaufe the roots cannot extend themfelves with 
facility. A fandy ioil is equally prejudical to them, 
becaule it is naturally hot, and the heat of the fun pene¬ 
trates with more facility than in any other ground ; con- 
fequently the vines are not able to refill, though watered 
three or four times a-day. 
Manner of planting the Pepper-grain .—Take ripe pepper, 
and put it into water for three days, at the end of which 
take off the fkin ; and, after you have mixed good red earth 
with cow-dung and water, put the pepper into it, expo- 
ling the fame to the fun for three days, but only in the 
E R, 
morning and evening; it is neceflary this mixture be? 
neither too thick nor thin. After this, plant the fame in 
an earthen pot, every grain at a certain diftance, taking 
care to water them everyday, with a water-pot, until the 
ftalk has four leaves ; then dig a hole at the foot of a tree, 
two feet deep and nine inches long and broad, take cow- 
dung and allies of all forts of fire-wood, put it in the hole, 
and mix the lame with ground dug out of it, taking care 
to fill it in fuch a manner that there only remains five 
inches of elevation. Fifteen days after, plant four pepper- 
vines in every hole, cover them with earth two inches 
deep; during the fummer, water them every day, morning 
and evening, and cover them during the rains. As foon. 
as the rains are over, throw up a circular bank of earth 
round them, to contain the water they are watered with. 
Thefe inftrudlions are to be followed every year; thefe 
pepper-plants are planted either in high or low ground, 
but it is neceflary it be very firm. 
Dr. Anderfon adds, that the vines generally bear fruit 
every fourth year, but often in the third, if foils and fea- 
fons are favourable. The flowers appear in June, and the 
berry is ripe in September. It is cut down when the 
berry is blood-red, dried in the fun five or fix days, win¬ 
nowed and forted. White pepper is prepared by bruifing 
the berry with the feet, fo as to take off the outer Ikin, 
waflied with water, and afterwards dried in the fun. 
According to-Mr. Marfden, in his Hiftory of Sumatra, 
the ground chofen there for a pepper-garden is marked 
out into regular fquares of fix feet, the intended diftance 
of the plants, of which there are ufually a thoufand in 
each garden. The next bufinefs is to plant the chirihn- 
reens, which ferve as props to the pepper-vines, and are 
cuttings of a tree of that name, which is of quick growth. 
When the chinkareen has been fome months planted, the 
moll promifing upright Ihoot is referved for growth, and 
the others lopped off; this Ihoot, having acquired two 
fathoms in height, is deemed fufliciently high, and its top 
is cut off. Two pepper-vines are ufually planted to one 
chinkareen, round which the vines twill for fupport; 
and, after being fullered to grow three years, by which 
time they are eight or twelve feet high, they are cut off 
about three feet from the ground, and, being loofened 
from the prop, are bent into the earth in fuch a manner 
that the upper end is returned to the root. This opera¬ 
tion gives frelh vigour to the plants, and they bear fruit 
plentifully the enfuing feafon. .The fruit is four or five 
months in coming to maturity : the berries are at firft 
green, turn to a bright red when ripe, and foon fall off if 
not gathered in proper time. As the whole duller does 
not ripen at the lame time, part of the berries wouid be 
loft in waiting for the latter ones; the Sumatrans there¬ 
fore pluck the bunches as foon as any of theberries ripen, 
and fpread them to dry upon mats, or upon the ground. 
By drying they become black, and more or lefs llirivelled, 
according to their degree of maturity. 
The following particulars are colle&ed from the “ Pro¬ 
ceedings of the Sumatran Agricultural Society,” recently 
publilhed. The mean annual produce of 1000 pepper 
vines (the number each family is required to cultivate), 
in all the various llages of bearing, taken collectively 
throughout the coaft, deduced from the experience of 
twelve years, is no more than 404-lbs. the value of which 
is fomewhat lefs than eight dollars; and this fmallincome 
does not commence till the garden has arrived at a bear- 
ing-ftate, which, at an average, may be reckoned five 
years after the firft planting; fo extremely trifling are the 
advantages which accrue to the natives from the cultiva¬ 
tion of pepper ! They plant not with a view to profit, 
but conlider the rearing of a plantation as a talk impoled 
on them, which they perform with reluCtance, and lim¬ 
ply to avoid punilhinent. “From my own obfervation 
and experience, I can take upon me to afl'ert, that, were 
the price of pepper to be raifed to five times its prefent 
amount, and every tnan at liberty to follow his inclina¬ 
tions, not one in five of the inhabitants would give them- 
fslves 
