The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-05-12
THE DEADLY DRUG.
Opium and Its Culture-An Important Branch
of Industry.

oil INDUSTRY.
medical correspondent of the Nashville
american writes as follows to that paper
Having found it impossible to procure a
pure article of opium in commerce, even at a
very high price ($14 to SIG per pound, and
believing it might be cultivated successfully
in this climate and soil, we ordered from i'm
porters the poppy seed, which we have dis
tributed gratuitously to parties who will take
an active interest in its culture and report
success. We are giving it fair trial under
our own supervision, and to those who are
interested and desire the advantage of our
research, we take pleasure in giving the fol-
lowing items:-
This plant is probably native of some of
the warmer parts of Asia, although it is now
very generally cultivated throughout the
south and middle of Europe, and grown in
some places in the United States.
There are several kinds of poppy, but that
variety which produces white flowers and
white seed is considered best for opium. The
seeds OF the poppy are very small, and with
care in sowing, one or two ounces is sufh-
cient for an acre. The soil should be fine and
loose when the seeds are sown. Deep cross
blowing, two or three times each way and
thorough narrowing will ensure best results.
When the ground is ready lay off in drills
three feet apart, and plant from one to two
feet in the rows. Cover slightly if at ALL
Plant in April or May, sooner might be better
for this climate. When the seeds are sown
the subsequent cultivation consists chiefly in
thinning and wedding. Heavy rich manuring
is deemed most favorable. Irrigation is prac-
tised with marked results. The cultivation
should be as thorough as cotton culture and
similar in many respects.
The narcotic juice is developed only about
towering time. AS soon as the flowers from
sufficient number of poppy heads have
fallen, the cultivator, armed with a sharp
knife, passes through the field in the morning
and wounds all ripe heads by horizontal incl
sions. During the day the milky juice of the
plant oozes out and collects on the capsule.
The following morning it is gathered by being
scraped off with dull knife or scoop, and
transferred to plate or saucer, and set away
in the shade to dry. After it drys sufficiently
it is worked up into homogeneous mass,
rolled into balls, covered with poppy leaves;
and then it is ready for use. You can by this
process rely on having pure opium, which is
very scarce in this country.
Professor Carson, of Philadelphia, who has
taken great interest in this subject, several
| years ago offered 800 in gold for a single
| pound of pure Turkish opium, if it was found
in the country: he was unable to get it, The
Doctor has cultivated the poppy and pro-
duced his own opium, and writes me that he
believes it can be successfully produced in
| tnls country.
Professor Joseph Bates, NJ. D., editor of
The Journal Of Materia Medica, published at
New Lebanon, New York, writes me that he
has grown his poppy and produced his opium
for the past hve years, and that all the physi-
clans in New Lebanon have used il and pro-
nounced it purer and far more reliable than
any procured in commerce. He also writes
that our climate is better suited to its growth
than his. and that the enterprise is a noble
one and will prove not only remunerative in
the highest degree, but beneficial to our peo.
pie.
There are over 100, 600, OOOpounds of opium
consumed annually in China, and more thar
1000, coo pounds imported to this country
every year, with tariff of $S per pound
1t is estimated that from so to 100 pounds
can even now be produced to the acre. IT.
consumption is rapidly increasing. AS
medicine opium is invaluable Pereira says
-''You can find one incidence to take tn
4 place of another in every article of the ma
S terra medica except the valuable medicine
!, opium, which has no substitute.