The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1858-08-12

&C., !. 1870 80 The hriIliane eaxruine OF the pain
ter, and the rich scnrlet and crimson colors OF IN
silk and wooden dyer, are ~produced from . small on
which feeds on the cactus plant. THIS insect. cai!e
. cocbineal.' was unknown IN Europe before the dls
covery of this continent IT was first expofteo ~ q
Spaniards from Mexico. where It was empl9yeqRy g
natives in producing those beautiful redscol9rS o.
feathers, which were made into divers curious lndial
fabrics. Cochineal is sold at from one dollar and
half to two dollars per pound. At one pes1od, u
cultivation was mostly limited to Mexico proper, on
it has lately been extended to other countr1es- WIT
very profitable returns to those who have engaged u
it. Its introduction and present extensive cuiuvatioi
in the Island of Teneriffe forms a remarkabIe epssod'
in the history Of the plants and people of that won
derful island, whose volcanic peak is seen from ana
on the ocean, towering mp, like a huge sugar-'oai
twelve thousand feet into the blue vault above. 70
three hundred years this island has been a vino-pro
ducing country, and wine was the principal article o
its commerce-as much as 25,OhO pipes being ex
rorted annually-and who would have Thought ina
it ever would be otherwise +! But sometimes revoiu.
tons take place in the natural as well as the socta
world. and about fifteen years ago the handwritine
of DOOM went forth against the wines OF lenerlne
The wine disease fell upon the vineyards. the Iruu
withered, the plant died, and starvation stared the
peorle in the face. The American vessels wnicn useo
to frequent the island to exchange -four and provis-
ions for wine deserted the harhors. What were the
people to do ! Some years previous lin 1881 a M
tive gentleman. knowing that the cochineal was CUT
tivateI p~roftably in Honduras, thought It mignt De
eQu1lV - q III IPneTIUc. u "
cactus plant and its attendant insect. and set ont q
cochineal plantation. The people around him. oiinoeo
by a strange finaticism, thought that the cncfus was
something insulting to the vine, and they destroyed
his plantation Mt night. But being q man OF some
determination. and supported. happily, by govern
ment. he was so encouraged az to adhere TO bis euorts
to cultivate it as secretly as possible. in some ioneiy
spots, ard he was at last rewarded for all his trials
and labors. When the grapes died, and despair
seemed to settle down upon the people, as their prin-
cipal dependence. the question was sent forth. why
not try to convert the abandoned and wifhered vine
yards into cochineal plantations? A furore seemed
to seize the people in its favor, and II has already
been demonstrated that the cnchinea! insect propa-
gated rapidly, and the cactus hourished luxuriantly.
The deserted vineyards were converted into fields OF
the cactus plant, and such n profitable investment
was never made before in the culture of the soil. even
in the palniest davs of wine growing. An acre of
ground. set out with the cactus plant, yields about
800 pounds of cochineal, and under the most favera-
BILE circumstances 500 pounds, for which the owner
receives about $40. The peasant women nurture
patches of the cactus around their c~sttages, and
thereby acquire considerable convenient little sums
for domestic purposes, as the cochineal is marketable
and in demand. The cochineal insect resembles a
plump rose-bug when dried. The female parents
produce young in very great numbers; the males re-
semble gnats, are very short-live1, and are few in
number in comparison with the females The latter,
when young. are white. hut gradually becomes pur-
pie in color. by secreting the fluid derived from the
plant -that for which il is so valuable. When filled
with this secretion. these insects are shaken off the
plants, placed on clean boards, and dried in ovens.
which process prepares them for market. 1t ought
TO humble personal human pride when II is consid
cred that its qualification is oftentimes due to very
despised sources. Thus the cochineal insect, or bug
of the cactus plant, is employed TO put the artificial
rose on the pale cheek, and the bloom on the new
scarlet uniform in which the young soldier takes
pride. At some future dav, cochineal may become an
object of culture in Florida and Texas, where cactus
and its pnrple insect abound
THE BeITIsH POSTAL SYsTEM.-We have before no.
ticed statements taken from the Report of the British
Post Office. Bv the annexed. which is copied from
the Boston Post. it will be perceived that the employ
ments f the Duke of Argyll in the time of Queen
Caroline, and he of the time of Victoria, are essen
tally different. The fourth annual report of the
Post Master General of Great Britain. (for 1857, } is
just out. 1t appears to have been issued by the Duke
OF Argyll, Just before he left office, as it is signed by
him, and dated February 25th, though not published
till April. 1t is similar in size and appearance to
the annual report of our Post Office Department, and
evidently a copy of the plan long in use in this coun-
try for until the last four years, the British Post
Office has issued no distinct yearly report. The pres
ent number is a modest brown, or tea-colored pamph-
let of "a pages, and is taken up with current statis-
bills, postal conventions with foreign nations. and re-
ports of the health officer and comptroller on the san
itary condition of the Post Office, and the general
health of the men. Everything in the report indi-
Gates system, care and good management, very diff
ferent from the &c decentralization ofhce.' made no.
torious by the pen of Dickens. There are in Great
Britain ll,iol post offices, and OF these $40 are head
post offices, and 1927 sub post offices. The increase
during the year 1857 was 256, the number of persons
employed in the British postal service within the
kingdom is 23,545. There are also 125 in the colo
MES that are considered as attached to the home post
office, and 81 agents in foreign countries, for the COL
lection of postage, making n total of 23, 731. These
per.ons are CHASED as follows IL post master gen.
eral, 5 secretaries and assistant secretaries, Is sur
veyors. 10 other superior officers. IL ,1e1 post mas
tiers, 1910 clerks, &c., POS mail guards, 0,5S2 letter
carriers, messengers, &a, and 7 marine mail officers.
la large off ,es many OF the same persons that are
classed as letter carriers and messengers, act as
clerks and sorters a portion of the time, on the arri-
val or before the departure of important mails. The
gross EXPENSES or actual amount of money paid out
for the support of the post Office during the year is
set down as 1904 $50, and consists of the following
items, along with the expenses of 1856, in a parallel