Dodge City times., 1882-11-02

indulgence by almost all other nations
and the quantity consumed in the las
Is said to be so immense that a state
ment Of the amount would appear quit,
Incredible. Here it is evidently on tn
increase. 1t is chiefly cultivated il
Europe and Asia. but il is also grown il
Australia. Large quantities of it ar,
raised at Mitcham, in Surrey. but OH
uncertain climate must prevent our eve
beng able TO grow it proftably, al
though British opium has been foun,
to contain more morphine Gts mos
valuable CONSTITUENCY than the opium O
commerce.
In the South of France. and Germany,
the experiment might be more success
ful. for it would appear that il is moi
mere heat of climate which causes tn,
juice of the ripening capsules to be
rich in Morphine; and the poppy cult.
waited for its seed, affording a valuable
oil. may be so treated as to Weld 3
harvest of opium. at an expense which
need not exceed one fourth OF the mar.
ket value of the drug obtained, whilst
the seed can ripen uninjured by the in
cisions made in the seed vessels.
Warmth and dryness are necessary to
the setting OF the juice. which shall be
OF reddish color. a waXy luster and a
strong, disagreeable scent. The best
opium is procured during the north
west. or dry winds, and the worst
during the moist. or east northeast,
when the drug imbibes moisture. and a
watery. bad solution collects in cavities
of its substance called passeua. accord
ing to the absence of which the opium
is generally priced
In India the poppy is grown in large
fields. said to resemble carpets OF dark
green velvet. or a green lake studded
with waterlilies. 1t flowers in January,
and capsules are nearly ripe early in
March, when incisions are made in
them downwards, with small knife
consisting of three or four minute
blades fastened together: the milky
juice which exudes is allowed to thicken
and dry for four and twenty hours. and
is then scraped off. The greatest yield
OF good opium in our Indian possessions
is stated TO be forty-One pounds per i'm
perial acre, and the average to be
twenty to twenty-five pounds. DIR.
HOoker's description of his visit to the
Opium Godowns (stOres) will be found
Interesting:
AT the end of March the opium
jars arrive at the stores by water and
land, and continue accumulating for
some weeks. Every jar is labeled and
slowed in a proper place. separately
tested with extreme accuracy, and
valued. When the whole quantity has
been received. the contents of all the
jars are thrown into great watts, occupy
ing very large building. whence the
mass is distributed to be made into
halls for the markets. This operation
is carried on in a long. paved room.
where every map is ticketed, and many
overseers are stationed TO see that the
work is properly conducted.
Each workman sits on a stool, with
a double stage and a tray before
him; on the top stage is a tin basin.
containing opium sufficient for three
balls; in the lower. another basin hold
ing water. In the tray stands brass
hemispherical cup, in which the ball is
worked. To the mans right hand is
another tray, with two compartments,
one containing thin pancakes of poppy
petals, the other cupful OF sticky
opium water. made from refuse opium.
The man takes brass cup and places
pancake at the bottom. smears it with
opium water. and with many plies
makes a coat for the opium. OF this he
takes about one-third OF the mass before
him. puts it inside the petals. and ag-
glutinates many other coats over it; the
balls are again weighed, and reduced
Or increased to a certain weight, if nee
essary. At the days end each man
takes his work to rack with numbered
and deposits it in that
which answers to his own number: