the Economic Products of India.
33
Races Grown.
PAPAVER
somniferum.
a peculiar dehiscence in his Malwa poppies argues against the possibility
of their having belonged to var. glabrum. The definition of P. somniferum,
however, as given by most botanists, provides for a considerable vari-
ability in the shape of the leaves and the form and colour of the petals.
It is, therefore, by no means a matter of necessity that the red coloured
poppies of Malwa belong to the variety glabrum. This discussion, as
to the possible botanical nature of the opium poppies of India, founded
on the peculiar expressions used by Indian authors, has been forced on
the writer, owing to his not having had the opportunity of investigating
the subject personally. It will, therefore, perhaps, be readily admitted
as desirable that we should not much longer remain ignorant on so
all-important a feature of the poppy industry. The subject is by no means
one of purely botanical interest. The recognised merits of the opium of this
country and that depend upon a number of circumstances, such as climate,
soil, systems of agriculture, methods of preparation and purity ; but it can
-
not be denied that into that category must also be placed (and perhaps
foremost of all other considerations) the peculiar merits of the variety or
race of poppy grown. Even when cultivated side by side in the garden,
Mr. Scott noted that the various races which he found in the hands of the
cultivators, or which he was able to pick up as mere sports, or to produce by
cross-breeding, yielded materially different results in quantity and quality of
the drug. It is freely admitted that the highly valued medicinal form of
opium obtained from Asia Minor is the produce of the variety glabrum. At
the present moment we possess no proof as to whether or not that plant is
grown in India. But to return to the forms of the Indian poppy, described
by Mr. Scott, it would seem that many were, as he states, mere degenera
-
tions through neglect or from poverty of soil. Others were hybrids, if they
may be so called (between recognised races), which he had himself pro
-duced, while a third class were sports, found in the fields and which he had
cultivated in the hope of discovering more profitable strains than already
existed. The writer has very carefully considered all the statements made
by Mr. Scott, and has come to the conclusion that the following forms
described by him are probably recognisable races, most of which seem to
be known to the opium growers of India. A selection of Mr. Scott's
forms must of necessity, however, be made with considerable diffidence,
since that painstaking observer is the only writer who has dealt with the
subject, and any such selection may tend to detract from the value of his
work. At the same time it seems desirable to separate M r. Scott's
experiments in the production of what he calls " Mongrels " from old
established cultivated races.
_
1st , Safaid-dherri. —" The white capsuled poppy is the most common of
the varieties, and is chiefly distinguished by its roundish, oblong, and
glaucous, or powdery—i e., covered with a fine bloom or white powdery
substance—capsules. Mixed with it, less or more, however, we find varieties
with rather small sized, round or oblate, and powdery capsules, which as a
rule are very scanty drug-producers So also another sort with roundish
oblong capsules of a dull olive green colour, and but slightly, if at all,
powdery. The rind of this variety gets dry, hard, and almost woody before
the capsule is full grown, and rarely affords more than one drug incision.
I n selecting seed, therefore, it is well to avoid either of those, and especially
the latter. The true white-capsuled variety, as indicated above, is, as a drug-
producer, with the exception of the teyleah, one of our best." It gives a
discharge of drug with from four to nine or more incisions with ordinary
4-bladed nashtar or lancet. " The drug is also of excellent quality, and,
in the sample analysed for me by Dr. Durant, contained in nearly equal
proportions, a total of 7.04. per cent. in morphine and narcotine.
Hybrids.
Sports.
Bengal
Forms.
Safaid-dherri.
CULTIVATION
Races.