The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1857-08-27
Commercial Advertiser.
FROM Geo. Dons general History Dichamyeous Plant.
The CochineaI and Cactus.


says, Sc In Misteca, where was for five years,
always saw the insect upon prickly nopals. NJ. de
Raynal magnes that the color of the cochinea is to
be ascrihe the red g which lives; that au-
thor has been msnformed for neither does the coch-
iced upon the fruit but only upon the green part
of the plant; does that species of nopa bear red
but white hgs-" Clavigero adds g it may be reared
upon the species with red fruit but that is not the
proper plant of TIE cOchineal.''
VI Thierry de MenonvilIe who procured the cochi-
neal insect and the Opuntia which it feeds from
Guaxaca, in Mexico, and transported them to St.
Domingo, and who unquestonably had the bes. means
of determining the kinds of cultivated for the
insect, describes particularly three sorts which it
may be reared and cultivated to advantage.
Tine first is the Cactier Nopal, upon which alone
the cochineal is reared in Mexico, both the fine and
common sorts, although there throughout the
country many other kinds of Opuntia- The two fol-
lowing, therefore, it is presumed employed in ST.
Domingo. 2nd, the Cacter splendide, which may
be used 10 equal advantage with the former; and 3rd
the Caetier de Campeche
OF these the first s>s, - &C sisTesi, i,.,led- q
description, is the Cactus Tt of Lin, which is the
Opuntia Tuna of Miller. IN second appears to be
very similar to the former, bun larger in joints and
very gaucous The is without doubt the Cactus
CochiniIlifera Ln- and which he says of it from his
own experience, that it may be usefully employed for
rearing the Cochinlle Sylvestre, and may sup
port a small quantity of the fine kind Humboldt
alsc although he allows that it is the plant upon which,
the cochineaI has often been sent to Europe,
that our Opuntia Cochnillifera is the individual
of the Mexican Nopaleries, which he makes
species under the of o. Bonplandii, and he
quotes under it with n mark of doubt the Cactus
Tuna OF Lin
tI,a&,
Chinese embassy under Lord Mccartney, there
considerable plantations of Cactus Tuna, Opuutia
Tuna for rearing the cochineal, which had time
previously been introduced into Brazil In ST. Vincent
the Rev L. Guiding has a considerable nursery of
the Opuntia Cochinitera inhabited by thousands Of
the true cochnea; and he Is in expectation of send
ing the Society of Arts large quantity of the dried
Insects From all that has been said think it may
be inferred with safety that in Mexico and Brazil the
Opuntia Tuna or Bonpland is the fayorte food of
the cochnea; and that in the West Indian Islands,
where o. Tuna is perhaps less frequent, the o. Coch
inera Is employed by the natives, and answers the
purpose sufficiently we'll
Like all the species of Opuntia, the plants prOpa-
gate readily By having the joints stuck in the ground,
and the plants love dry and barren spots Ii culti
waited for the purpose of rearing the cochineal, it
must be defended least in the rainy Island of st.
Vincent, from and winds, by sheds placed to
vindward-
The cochineal insect which feeds upon the kinds of
Opuntia Just mentioned is too well known TO need
particular description here; also its valuable
properties in producing the dye which bears its
and earmne Iii the Cccous cacti of Linneus small
insect Of the order Hymenoptera, having a general
appearance not very dissimiar to that of the mealy
bug of cur gardens, and equally covered with white
powiery substanG The male is winged 1t is orig
nsly nativsI Mexico, and was cultivated for its
precious dye ing befOrsthe conquest of that coun-
try and thek plantations called Nopaerias are most
extensive in the Msteca and Oaxaca the latter dis
trict alone has exported, according to Humboldt,
upon the average 81 900 arobas annually, estimated
at2,4G0,0OO piastres, above e5OO 900 sterling
In SIoane's Jamaica, vol..1 p. 9, representation
Of Mexican Nopalery is given from drawing made
HGuaxaca by an Indian. In these small panta-
tans enclosures they cultivate either the fine sort
tgrana ina of the Spaniards) the common kind
tgzna sylvestre), which differ by the first having
liner quality and more powdery cocnSpg; whilst the
ater less valuable in its produce has cottony COW
srng but whether these two insects be specifically
distinct has not yet been determned The placing of
the females, when big with young, is called sowing
The proprietor of a Nopalery buys in April or May
the branches or joints of the Tunas de Castillo (Opun-
u,
about three francs a hundred, loaded with young
'ehineals (semiIla). These kept in cellars for
twenty days, when they exposed to the air,
pended under shed. So rapid then is the growth
Of the insect that by August or September the fe-
males are big with young, and ready for sowing,
which is done in small nests, made of the fbrous
parts Of the foliage of Tillandsa called Paxtle In
hur months from the time Of sowing the harvest
onmences
The insects are brushed off with a squirrels on
dsers tail by women, who sit during this operation
Nr Eaole hours at one nopal plant; that it
not r the extreme cheapness of labor in that coun
u HUMBOLDT says that the rearing Of the cochineal
would prove Improbable employment After be
g gathered, the insects killed by boiling water
@ by exposing them in heaps to the sun, by means
Oh the vapor baths of the Mexicans (temszca); and
Wien dry they are fit for expectation BY the latter
ae'nod the pOwdery substance is preserved, which
Increases the value of the insects in commerce Dr.
bancroft has estimated the annual consumption Of
oennea IN Great Britain oaly at about 750 bags
a'1'VOO lbs, worth ez75,O0O, (" a vast amount as
& Authors Of the introduction to entomology OBSERVE
ior 80 small a creature and well calculated to show
Is the absurdty of despsing any animals on account
neir mnuteness-" According to the same writers
I only Kind Of cochineal that has been conveyed to
e East Indies Is the sylvestre wild cochineal from
cAni, and the Court of Directors of the East India
onpany have offered reward of E6, 900 any
Psson who should introduce the more valuable sort
Inc insects were introduced to the Royal Gardens
d,t III ioAf rom Martinico, by NJ Castenean
aSros lste superintendent of the botanic garden
On that island
Ia io-D the fine cochineal was introduced to the
P'nearles Botanic Garden at Chelsea by W. Prin-
Mexico. '''e u 'he N0pAierieS oi
sSoloing to Kirby and Spencer, the cochneal is
'Asny cultivated in the Intendency Of Oaxaca, and
.Ae Plantations contain sixty thousand nopals in
eASa beng kept about four feet high, for more
aeeess IN collecting the dye The cultivators
- 'ne more prickiy varieties of the plant as af-
- projection to the cochineal from insects, to |
winch from depositing their eggs in the flower