The chile is used in many different ways and it is quite an important
article of food among the Spanish speaking population in the Southwest
and in Mexico. It is eaten both in the green and ripe state. It may
be grown on ridges or in level plats. The former method is the more
common in New Mexico. In the spring after the ground has been plowed
and leveled (the plowing of the land can be done in the fall or winter)
and just a little before planting the ridges are made. These ridges
may vary in height from 8 to 12 inches. It is better to irrigate the
ridges before planting, though this is not always done. The object of
irrigating before planting is to get the water mark on the side of the
ridges and to settle the newly plowed soil somewhat. As soon as the
soil is dry enough so it can be worked, which is generally from four
to seven days, the seed is planted usually on one side of the ridge
and just above the water mark. The seed is planted by hand in hills
about every two feet in the row. The chile does not stand freezing
weather, though it will stand a little more cold than tomatoes. For the
convenience of intending chile growers the following table which gives
the number of hills per acre at different distances has been prepared:
Number of
Distance. Hills per Acre.
3-1/2 feet between rows × 2 feet in the row 6222
3-1/2 feet between rows × 2-1/2 feet in the row 4978
4 feet between rows × 2 feet in the row 5445
4 feet between rows × 2-1/2 feet in the row 4356
_Planting._--The seed is planted on the side of the ridge, when the
ridge method is practiced. The southern exposure of the ridge is always
preferable since this is usually warmer and the germination, other
factors being uniform, is quicker. If level culture is practiced there
is no choice of exposure. Whatever method of planting is followed care
should be taken not to bury the seed too deeply. As a general thing the
seed should not be deeper than three-fourths of an inch to an inch and
a half. Shallower planting, if the moisture is kept normal, will give
quicker and better germination. More seed is required per acre when
the planting is done by hand on the ridges than when it is drilled with
a garden drill in plats.
_Thinning._--Chile started from seed planted in the field must be
thinned to one or three plants to the hill. When the chile has been
thinned out properly the plant or plants in the hill branch out
considerably and produce a heavier and better crop. If too many plants
are left to the hill there is a marked tendency for the plants to
grow too tall and more or less top heavy. The chile is thinned out
when about 3 to 5 inches high. If a good germination takes place it
is more difficult to thin the chile, because there are more small
plants to the hill to be pulled out. Care should be had in selecting
the strongest plants in the hill and in injuring as little as possible
the roots of those which remain. While the common way of growing chile
is to plant the seed out in the field in the spring, it can also be
grown by starting the plants in cold frames early in the season and
transplanting to the field as soon as danger of frost is over.
_Irrigation._--After the irrigations to get the crop started have been
given, the frequency of the subsequent irrigations depends upon the
weather and soil conditions, and for that reason no specific statement
can be made just when and how often the chile should be irrigated.
One thing, however, is important to keep in mind, and that is that
the chile plant keeps bearing as long as it is growing. If the growth
should be checked by the lack of irrigation the plant stops bearing and
the blossoms and the very small pods are likely to drop off. The grower
himself should study his local conditions and decide for himself when
and how much to irrigate. While the chile plant resists considerable
drought, at the same time, it should not be allowed to suffer from the
lack of irrigation. When the chile is grown on ridges the space between
the ridges should be allowed to fill with water almost up to the plant.
If the water is simply turned in and allowed to rush down the furrow
to the other end the ridges will remain practically dry, necessitating
frequent irrigations to keep the plants from suffering. In irrigating
the chile on ridges always aim to hold the water long enough in the
furrow for the ridges to get fairly well soaked through. In the level
plat the irrigation is more simple and the soil around each hill
gets wet sufficiently while the water is running down to the end of
the plat. When the plats are quite long and are made up of a series
of squares as soon as each square is filled with water the border,
dividing that square from the next one, is cut and the water rushes
into the next square which is treated the same as the one before.--(N.
Mex. Col. Ag. and Mech. Arts 67.)