j6  Examination  of  Commercial  Peppers.    { AFebr°ulr>Pi9(Mm' 
West  Coast  Sumatra  comes  from  the  west  coast  of  the  Island  of 
Sumatra.  Color,  dark  brown  to  black;  small  pithy  grains  not  so 
numerous,  being  about  5  per  cent.,  but  larger  ones  are  present  in 
considerable  quantity ;  i.  e.,  the  large  pithy  berries  have  the  diame- 
ter of  4—5  5  mm.  and  consist  of  the  dried  sarcocarp  surrounding  a 
cavity  containing  nothing  but  some  fine  grains  of  a  dark-brown 
color,  occasionally  a  larger  grain  will  be  found  which  is  of  a  whitish 
color  internally,  but  which  is  not  the  perisperm.  Stems  and  pedi- 
cels present  about  1-2  per  cent.;  hull,  3-5  per  cent.  The  sarcocarp 
is  not  wrinkled  very  much  in  about  one-half  of  the  grains  ;  this  fact 
gives  the  grains  a  larger  appearance.  The  large  amount  of  oleo- 
resin  in  these  peppers  is  due  to  the  large  amount  of  hull  in  com- 
parison with  the  inner  portion ;  diameter,  2-6  mm.  Two  samples 
were  examined. 
No.  Ash.     Ether  Extract.      Piperin.  O'eo-resin. 
1   4*3  928  7*oo  2*28 
2   4-0  922  6-68  2*54 
The  color  of  the  ether  extract  is  greenish-brown. 
Acheen  pepper,  variety  A.,  comes  from  the  Dutch  province  of  that 
name.  Dark  brown  in  color;  small  pithy  grains  present  to  the 
extent  of  3  per  cent.,  but  larger  ones  from  IO-15  per  cent.;  stems 
and  pedicels  from  3-5  per  cent.  ;  unwrinkled  grains  about  one-half 
of  the  whole  amount.  The  hull  does  not  have  the  appearance  of 
being  stretched  over  the  inner  portion,  as  in  Singapore  and  Telli- 
cherry,  because  the  perisperm  is  very  small  and  the  hull  is  of  about 
the  same  size  as  in  the  Singapore  and  Tellicherry  peppers.  Diameter 
of  the  grains,  2-6  mm.  The  varieties  of  this  pepper  are  the  poorest 
entering  American  ports.    Four  samples  were  examined. 
No.  Ash.       Ether  Extract.      Piperin.  Oleo-resin. 
1  4'3  10 -06  7'56  2*50 
2  4*5  io*io  796  2*14 
3  4'  9"8°  7'67  2-13 
4  47  9'20  7*IO  2'IO 
Average,  ash,  5*375;  ether  extract,  979;  piperin,  7 '57+ ;  oleo-resin,  2"23-(-. 
Ether  extract  greenish. 
Two  samples  of  variety  C.  of  the  same  pepper : 
No.  Ash.       Ether  Extract,      Piperin.  Oleo-resin. 
i  5  "5  10  "46  10*02  -44 
2  5*2  10-46  9*94  -52 
Ether  extract  yellowish-green. 
This  variety  contains  almost  no  oleo-resin. 
