The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
CULTIVATING COCHINEAI.
or the INTERESrING TNnr.,
YRIES OF Old MENInn-
The Increased Price viii Tend to Rcviv.
the Busiuess-How the Insects Are Raised
and prepnred for tho Marion.
Prom ne T,co Rspublici.

NhNhh 80 ~ 'NfF AEfN 49, wv AiNh = II0
insect which furnishes the most brilliant rod
color known, occupied n very prominent uos,.
tion In the worlds commerce. The marke.
quotations OF this article were watched with
as much interest rs those q coffee nrs
to-day. Immense sums Of money were
invested, both In the production Of cochnoal
and In its marketing and TRANSPORTATION.
While Spain was the ruler of the Western
world cochineal was enc Of tho PRINCIPAL
sources OF revenue for that nation. and her
Government rs well rs her merchants vera
guarding with jealous care the monopoly thew
enjoyed IN this much sough after dyestur
The centre CT tho State OF OANaca. with its
many high ~plateaus and valleys. seems 10 10
the native home OF the tiny insect which pro.
duces the cochineal OF commerce and probably
has been the chirf seat OF the cochineal indus.
try for many centuries. az cochincal was ey-
tensively used for generations before the dis
covery OF America by modern civilization. It
Is well known that Monte2uma and other h2-
tee rulers before him sent merchants to OAK
aca to procure the priced color with which TO
adoru works OF art and even Of common uss.
No doubt the civilization known to have un-
doubtedly existed in the Western IIemisphere
long before the advent Of European conquer
ors made extensive use OF the product Of the
Oaxaca valleys.
IL is q matter Of record that during the last
half century over S9O.0OO.O0 was paid out In
Oaxaca TO the cochineal producers. which
probably does not represent more than one-
fifth OF the price paid by the actual Consumers,
The Spanish Government alone eXacted u tax
OF about S1.75 n pound. and the cost of trans.
portation. which must have been very great,
and the commissions amounted to enough
more TO make cochineal bring So a pound in
the wholesale market Of Europe. But since
the middle of the present century 4 dangerous
competitor for the OaXaca insect has been dis
covered In coal tar. from which science is prO.
ducing the brilliant colors known as AMI
line Mt an extremely low cost. IL 1t were
not for the fact that there are certain classes
81 goods which cannot be dyed eX.ept with the
aid of cochinehl. the industry would have been
killed entirely. While the producer formerly
would refuse less than 81 a pound the price
went down as lowsas ID cents. Quite recent
ly, however, the demHnd for cochineal has in
creased. and the price has gone up to 30 and
even 60 cents n pound. at which rate the coch-
meal industry is n raging one. In conse-
quenoe the interest in the insect has been re-
vived in Oaxaca. and many new plantations
for its cultivation have been laid out in the
valley of OlXaca.
The cochineal insect, which is the female Il
a species of wood louise, feeds upon a plant
belonging to the great cacti family commonly
called the ~inopal." 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. II left alone the
plant adds new leaves from year TO year, AID
will reach, a height of from ten to twelve feet.
The cultivators OF the plant use the new leaves.
after they have grown to ba about four inches
broad in the largest diameter, as sprouts for
| replantinG and making fields for the cultiya-
ton, of the insect. The planting is done in
Il a 49,. 49, .la... A. 49, I-l-
deep, dug about two and a half feet apart. The
sprouts are set at u distance OF about eighteen
inches from each other. and generally take
root very rapidly after having been set out.
and grow new leaves. Within n years time
they are ready to receive the insect.
AS n rule there are men who make a busi-
ness OF supplying planters with the seed or
mother insects. which are set out in October
rain would wash the Insects of the plants and
cause irrepar2b!e damage because the insects
would be either u total loss by droTning or
planted on the leaves In the following manner;
tube, closed at one End. about two INCHES long
and half an inch In diameter, made Of the fiber
closed with moss. after having been loaded.
and fastened to a leaf by running a spine
two to six Of these tubes are fastened to each
leaf, according TO tbs size Of the latter. and the
fH in a few ISaG DAYS " I after st tiny Wh Tten s a nHs barely barely
visible to the naked eye. except that Of the
trained Indian. begin u, appear on the leaves.
looking like mildew, If one OF them is touched
1t will leave q bright crimson stain.
little baskets are removed. They, still con-
tain the mother insects, most of them dead.
served for future use: The dead ones have
been partly eaten by their offspring, but what
OF pnnhInAnl md II Ia pnnRFnilV FnTpI at LGN-
eral cents more a pound, the color produced
by them being of special richness. The mat
Us the leaves appear covered with healthy colo
MES or groups Of the insects. but they receive
Of ~brushwood and dry stalks. which permit
the free circulation OF the air. The insects
plant Is almost COMPLETELY covered With what
appears ut a small distance like a white mold.
I Ysrs a Are fr11 Is due to bI the Hoo Goyerimg OF" ors
probably provided BY nature rs a protection
thick. flow tho males arrive at the, state 1t
maturity ! have not been able to find out my
me on the subject. They have wings ard are
about the size OF a small, gnat, When the in;
of from the leaves into dishes, baskets or cnto
mats. They are taken to q preparing place,
ITte So they ore usually put into SAX; "a dtin ,Eea
spread out on mats TO dry in the sun. An
other process. producinG the pest results, but
"NfN't ~ Oi 'N'NAl VI NAN - ''r'
attached 10 1t. IS to place the insects upon
trays IN an oven. the heat Of which Is carefully
regulated. and which requires constant atten-
ton. az the trays have TO be turned frequently
to secure a uniform drying.
After the insects have been dried by either
process they are subjected to n rolling process
by hand In order TO remove the fuzzy cover
ing. then sitted and assorted 10 be ready for
the market, the larger ones bringing the best
price. ,Cochineal ready for use looks ycrY
much Ike ,shrqnken buck wheat grain, when
IL resembles both In size and shape. Tho
color is iron gray. with. pinkisb shade. and tho
whole product resembles far more a metallic
substance than any product Of insect lie.
III the price OF cochineal keeps ON the pres-
ept level the old industry will likely he re-
yiyed. and perhaps il will receive the attention
OF entcrprising men who will discover means
TO, simplify the, cultivation and modcrni2e u
wherever possible. Thu present way seems
10 be the. same that has been followed by the
natives since time immemorial.
3D.