New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-01-29
RAISING THE COCHlNEAL.
INCREAsED PRICE OF THE INSECT HAS
MADE -MBXfCO'S OLD INDUSTRY
PAY AGAIN


From The Mexico Two Republics.
Until not so very long ago cochineal. dried
Insect which furnishes the most brilliant red
color known. occupied a very prominent position
In the worlds commerce. The market quota
tons Of this article were watched with as much
II not more interest than those OF coffee are
to-day. Immense sums OF money were invested.
both in the production Of cochineal and in It's
marketing and transportation. While Spain was
the ruler Of the Western world cOchineal was one
OF the principal sources Of revenue for that ma
ton. and her Government as well as her mer-
chants were guarding with jealous care the
monopoly they enjoyed in this much sought
after dyestuff.
many high plateaus and valleys. seems to be
the native home Of the tiny insect which pro-
duces the cOchineal Of commerce. and probably
has been the chief seat of the cochinea industry
Tor many centuries. cochineal was extensively
used for generations before the discovery OF
America by modern civilization. IL Is wen
known that MonteZuma and other Aztec rulers
before him sent merchants to Oaxaca to procure
the prized color with which to adorn works OF
art and Of common use. NO DOUBT the
civilization known to have undoubtedly exlsten
in the Western Hemisphere long before the al
vent of European conquerors made extensive
use Of the product OF the Oaxaca valleys.
1t is a matter Of record that during the last
half-contury over x9O.OOO.0tD was paid out in
Oaxaca to the cochineal producers. which prob
ably does not represent more than One-nfth OIL
the pric' paid by the actual consumers. Inc
Spanish Government alone exacted tax OF
about 81 - a pound. and the cost OF transporta-
ton. which must have been very great and the
commissions amounted to enough more to make
cochincal bring 50 a pound in the whoiesa mar
ket of Europe But since the middle of the pres
ent century a dangerous competitor for the
eaxaca insect has been discovered in coal tar.
from which science is producing the brilliant
colors. known aniiinc. at an extremely low
cost If it were not for the fact that there are
certain classes OF goods which cannot be dyed
all T.. did 90 Anlf rnn Ia.
would have been killed entirely. While the pro
duccr formerly would refuse less than ~ a
pound. the price went down as low as ID cents.
quite recently. however. the demand for cochi-
neal has increased. and the price has gone up tn
80 and even 60 cents pound. at which rate the
cochinea industry is a paying one. In cOnSe-
quence. the interest in the insect has been re
viycd in OaXaca. and many new plantations Tor
It's cultivation have been laid out In the valley
Of OaXaca.
A SPECIES OF WOOD LOUISE.
The cochinea insect which is the female of a
species Of wood louise feeds upon a plant be
longing to the great cacti family commonly
called the "nopal" This plant grows from leaf
To- leaf. the leaves being Oblong in shape. rather
round and heavy at the upper end with but few
spines on the edges If left alone the plant adds
new leaves from year to year. and Will reach a
height Of from ten to twelve feet The cult
vators of the plant use the new leaves, after
they have grown to be about four inches broad
in the largest diameter. as sprouts for repanting
and making iledS Tor the cultivation OF the IN
sect The planting is done in shallow trenches.
about two or three inches deep. dug about two
and half feet apart. The sprouts are set at d
distance of about eighteen inches from each
other. and generally take root very rapidly
after having been set out and grow new leaves.
Within "A years time they are ready to receive
the insect
AS a rule there are men who make a business
OF supplying planters with the seed or mother
insects. which are set out in October or after
the rainy season is over as heavy rain would
wash the insects off the plants and cause irrep-
arabic damage, because the insects would be
either total loss by drowning become so
weakened 10y the rain that they could not return
10 the plant. The insects planted on the
leaves in the following manner. About twenty
or thirty are placed in small tube, closed al
end about two inches long, and half al inch
in diameter made of the fibre Of species Of the
maguey plant. The tube Is closed with moss
after having been loaded. and fastened to a leaf
by running a spine through II and bending it
onto the leaf From two to six of these tubes
fastened to each leaf according to the size OF
the latter. and the entire plant Is then covered
with mat. Within few days after tiny white
specks barely visible to the naked eye. except
that OF the trained Indian. begin 70 appear on
the leaves. covering them after a while with
larger spots. looking like midew II one Of them
Is touched it will leave a bright crimson stain.
RAISING THE YOUNG INSECTS.
After tho leaves appear to DO covered the littl.
baskets are removed. They still contain the
mother insects. most OF them dead Those that
are still alive carefully preserved for future
use The q ad ones have been partly eaten by
their offspring. but what remains OF them pro-
duces the finest quality Of cOchineal. and it is
generally raicd at several cents more a pound
the color produced by them being OF special rich
ness. The mat covering is removed from the
plant as soon as the leaves appear covered with
hcalthy colonies or groups of the insects but re-
ceive another protection from the sun in the
shape OF hrushwood and dry stalks. which per
init the free circulation of the air The insects
keep growing in size until the entire nopal plant
is almost completely covered with what appears
at small distance like white mould This APP
pearance Is due to the covering OF very fine
RUIZ possessed by each insect and probably pro-
Vided by nature as protection against the
weather When full grown the insects are about