Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-08-13
OPIUM GROWING.
EXTRACTION OF THE DEADLY JUICE
OF THE POPPY.
Manufacture of Opium-Its Preparation
and Shipment to Market-An
Opium Farm.
fFrom the 81. Louis Globe-Democrat

From the st. Louis Globe Democrat
The astounding prevalence of the use of
opium and narcotics derived from it has
called especial attention to the growth'
manufacture and sale of this curse of coun-
tries. both Eastern and Western. The i'm
ports of crude opium to the United States
during the last year exceeded 100000
pounds, and the value of all grades aggre-
gated S2,5O0,000 Nor was all of this
enormous quantity used in the medical
arts. for no small portion found its way to
the infamous resorts where the opium pipe
is the chief attraction, and not little
more, in the form of morphine, lent Its
aid to disgrace our civilization.
Opium may be grown in almost any
temperate or tropical cline. Persia pro-
duces a great deal, so do Arabia and
Egypt. Large quantities are raised In
Germany, some is grown in France, and
even Italy and Spain contribute share to
the annual production. Attempts have
been made to raise it in the United States,
and although only in part successful, the
failure was due, not to any deficiency IN
soil or unfavorable tendency in climate,
but rather to the fact that hand-labor is
almost indispensable for its production,
and, in this country, hand-labor is so ex-
pensive that the opium Of the United
States cannot compete in the markets Of
the world with that raised in Oriental
countries.
The largest portion of the worlds crop
is grown in Turkey, China and India, the
last-named producing more opium than
any other two countries. Along the river
Gauges there is strip of territory 200
miles wide by 600 in length, which seems
particularly suited TO the production of
the opium poppy, and in this district
opium is grown almost to the exclusion Of
other crops. So far in advance is India,
when compared with other opium-produc-
ing countries, that while the crop of Tur-
KEY. the next most productive, has not
been know to exceed 10000 baskets of
three or four pounds weight, that of India
is more than 100000 chests, each contain
ing 100 pounds of the product
Opium is made from several varieties of
the poppy, even the common lettuce OF our
gardens containing proportion OF the
deadly drug, proportion which, although
small, is sufficient to impart to this escu-
lent its sleep giving quality. There are
several kinds of the poppy which produce
opium in abundance, and opium-growers
in different countries have their prefer
ences, the excellence of the plant for the
purpose intended being probably due to
qualities of soil, for the best opium pop
pies of India, when sown in China, pro-
duce an opium by no means equal to that
of their native soil. The plant is known
i n mythology and history, and even the
ancients knew the sleep-giying poppy, the
emblem at once of forgetfulness and death.
Formerly all portions of the plant save the
root were used in the manufacture of
opium, the plants being cut dried and
powdered. But the opium so contained
was weak, and ingenuity soon set TO work
to devise ways and means for obtaining
stronger and better article of the product.
The poppy from which opium is pre-
pared is an annual. After the ground has
been plowed and as far as possible leveled
with a harrow composed of the boughs of
trees, the poppy seed is sown broadcast,
lust as we SOW wheat, but much thicker.
For convenience in cultivation the fields
are then divided into plats about ten feet
wide and of indefinite length. Not much
care is needed in the cultivation of the
plant save to thin out the peoples and
keep down the weeds. In dry seasons
steps are sometimes taken to irrigate the
fields. but water is seldom needed, for the
plant thrives on the minimum of moisture.
The opium poppy has many enemies, for
eaterpillars, grasshoppers and other insect
pests feed greedily on the leaves, and
there is more than one sort of fungus
which attacks the root, and sometimes
blights an entire field. To obviate dan
gers from drought and insect pests it is
common in opium-growing countries to
SOW the seed at intervals of two or three
weeks between sowings for three months,
this plan having the advantage, also, Of
maturing the crop at different times, thus
allowing the farmer to gather his opium
more at leisure than would be the case
were all to ripen at once.
When the seed capsules are beginning
to mature, missions are made in them by
means of knives specially constructed for
the purpose. The capsules are cut at
night, and in the morning, after the dew
has passed away, few drops Of glutinops
matter. pinkish in color, are found on the
outside of the bulb, Holding leaf in
one hand and peculiarly shaped iron
spoon in the other, the dusky laborer
scrapes off the exuding drops and deposits
them in the poppy leaf. When his leaf
will hold no more he plucks another
from the nearest plant and continues in
his work, leaving the leaves scattered along
the road to be gathered up at leisure. The
drying process is thus begun, and after the
days work is done the opium-loaded leaves
are conveyed to the drying house, and IN
a few days the opium assumes the consis-
tency of very thick paste, and changes In
color from nearly white to dark brown.
1t is then ready for the second stage, in
the manufacture, and by the hands of la
borers, who are paid from sc to Sc day,
is pressed into balls of about six inches in
diameter. Each "presser' is provided with
a hemispherical cup, for the purpose of
molding the balls, and there is also placed
to his hand quantity of what is known
as poppy trash"-that is, the leaves of
the poppy thoroughly dried in the sun
and ground to a very fine powder As the
leaves contain also a small quantity of
opium, the packing of the balls is Of essen
TALLY the same nature as the opium itself,
and among the poorer classes, who cannot
afford the expense of purchasing opium,
the trash" in which it is packed often
serves as a substitute in smoking.
After the 'fballing" is completed the
opium is placed in the drying room, where
it remains several months, and as the heat
of the Indian summer frequently exceeds
1902 Fahrenheit in the shade, not many
weeks of exposure are needed to prepare
the opium for market. When properly
dried il is removed to the stacking room,
warehouse built especially with view
to its reception, and there on shelves
about the room the opium balls are kept
until ready for export. They are then
transferred to chests somewhat resembling
the tea chests so often seen in our large
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