The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-03-18

following manner. About twenty or
thirty are placed in a small tube, closed
at one end, about the inches long, and
half an inch in diameter, made of the
! i1ber of species of the maguey plant.
The tube is closed with moss, after hav-
ing been loaded and fastened to leaf
by running a spine through it and bend
ing 1t on to the leaf. From two to six
or these tubes are fastened to each leaf,
! according to the size of the latter, and
the entire plant is then covered with a
mat. Within a few days after tiny
specks, barely visible to the naked eye,
except that Of the trained Indian, begin
to appear ON the leaves, covering them
after a while with larger spots, looking
like mildew. If one of them is touched
| it will leave bright crimson stain.
| After the leaves appear to be covered
the little baskets are removed. They
still contain the mother insects, most Of
them dead. Those that are still alive
are carefully preserved for future use.
| The dead ones have been partly eaten by
their offspring. but what remains of
hem produces the finest quality Of coch-
meal, and it is generally rated at several
cents more pound, the color produced
by them being Of special richness. The
mat covering Is removed from the plant
as soon as the leaves appear covered
with healthy colonies or groups of the
insects, but receive another protection
from the sun in the shape of brushwood
and dry stalks, which permit 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 a
white mould. This appearance is due to
the covering Of a very fine fuZz pos
sessed by each insect and probably pro-
vided by nature as a protection against
the weather. When full grown the in
sects are about five-sixteenths of an
inch thick. How the males arrive at the
state Of maturity l have not been able
to find out myself, and careful inquiry
has failed to enlighten me on the sub
ject. They have wings and are about
the size of small gnat. When the in
sects on the nopal are ripe" they are
scraped off from the leaves into dishes,
baskets or onto mats. They are taken
to preparing place. where they are
usually put into sacks. dipped into boil
ing water for a few seconds and then
spread out on mats to dry in the sun.
Another process, producing the best re-
suits, but rarely employed on account Of |
the expense attached to it, Is to place |
the insects upon trays in an oven the |
heat of which Is carefully regulated, !
and which requires constant attention.
as the trays have to be turned frequent |
ly to secure a uniform drying.
After the insects have been dried by
either process they are subjected to a
rolling process by hand in order to re-
move the fuzzy covering, then s'fted and
assorted to be ready for the market. the
larger ones bringing the best price.
Cochineal ready for use looks very much
like shrunken buckwheat grain, which
1t resembles both in size and shape.
The color is iron gray, with pinkish
shade, and the whole product resembles
far more a metallic substance than any
product of insect life.
If the price of cochineal keeps on the
present level the old industry will likely
be revived, and perhaps it will receive
the attention of enterprising men who
will discover means to simplify the cul-
ovation and modernize 1t wherever pos
;ible The present way seems to be the i:
same that has been followed by the ma
ives since time immemorial.- Mexico
rwo Republics. +