es; the former denoting the
cuttings of young creeping shoots commonly planted, in opposition to the
latter, which is the term for planting by layers.

SEASONS.

The season of the pepper-vines bearing, as well as that of most other
fruit-trees on Sumatra, is subject to great irregularities, owing perhaps
to the uncertainty of the monsoons, which are not there so strictly
periodical as on the western side of India. Generally speaking however
the pepper produces two crops in the year; one called the greater crop
(pupul agung) between the months of October and March; the other called
the lesser or half crop (buah sello) between the months of April and
September, which is small in proportion as the former has been
considerable, and vice versa. Sometimes in particular districts they will
be employed in gathering it in small quantities during the whole year
round, whilst perhaps in others the produce of that year is confined to
one crop; for, although the regular period between the appearance of the
blossom and maturity is about four months, the whole does not ripen at
once, and blossoms are frequently found on the same vine with green and
ripe fruit. In Laye residency the principal harvest of pepper in the year
1766 was gathered between the months of February and May; in 1767 and
1768 about September and October; in 1778 between June and August; and
for the four succeeding years was seldom received earlier than November
and December. Long-continued droughts, which sometimes happen, stop the
vegetation of the vines and retard the produce. This was particularly
experienced in the year 1775, when, for a period of about eight months,
scarcely a shower of rain fell to moisten the earth. The vines were
deprived of their foliage, many gardens perished and a general
destruction was expected. But this apparent calamity was attended with a
consequence not foreseen, though analogous to the usual operations of
nature in that climate. The natives, when they would force a tree that is
backward to produce fruit, strip it of its leaves, by which means the
nutritive juices are reserved for that more important use, and the
blossoms soon begin to show themselves in abundance. A similar effect was
displayed in the pepper gardens by the inclemency of the season. The
vines, as soon as the rains began to descend, threw out blossoms in a
profusion unknown before; old gardens which had been unprolific for two
or three years began to bear; and accor