Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-02-15
THE COCHINEAL INDUSTRY.
A Little Woodlouse That Once Was
Important for Dyeing.

Until not so very long ago cochineal
a dried insect which furnishes the
most brilliant red color known, occu-
pied a very prominent position in the
worlds commerce. The market quo
tations of this article were watched
with as much if not more interest IMAM
those Of coffee are today immense
sums of money were invested, both III
the production of cochineai ana III It's
marketing and transportation. Wnlie
Snain was the ruler of the western
world cochineal was one of the prin-
cinaI sources of revenue for that IA
tion. and her government as We'll as
her merchants were guarding with
Jealous care the monopoly they en-
loved in this much sought after dye
stuff.
with its many high plateaus and val
leys. seems to be the native home OF
the tiny insect which produces the
cochineal Of commerce, and probably
has been the chief seat of the cochi-
neal industry for many centuries, as
cochineal was extensively used for
generations before the discovery of
America by modern civilization IL
is we'll known that Montezuma and
other Aztec rulers before him sent
merchants to OaXaca to procure the
nrized color with which to adorn
works of art and even of common use.
No doubt the civilization known to
have undoubtedly existed in the west
ern hemisphere long before the advent
of European conquerors made extern
sive use of the product of the Oaxaca
valleys.
1t is a matter of record that during
the last half-century over $90,OOO,OO0
was paid out in Oaxaca to the cochi-
neal producers, which probably does
not represent more than one-fifth of
the price paid by the actual consum-
ers. The Spanish government alone
exacted a tax of about SITE pound,
and the cost of transportation, which
must have been very great, and the
commissions amounted to enough
more to make cochineal bring SIS a
pound in the wholesale market Of Eu-
rope But since the middle of the past
century a dangerous competitor for
the Oaxaca insect has been discovered
in coal tar, from which science is
producing the brilliant cOlors, known
as aniline at an extremely low cost.
If it were not for the fact that there
are certain classes of goods which can
not be dyed except with the aid of
cochineal, the industry would have
been killed entirely. While the pro-
Queer formerly would refuse less than
81 a pound, the price went down as low
as Is cents. Quite recently, however.
the demand for cochineal has in
creased, and the price has gone up to
so and even 60 cents pound, at which
rate the cOchineal industry is paying
one. In consequence, the interest in
the insect has been revived in OaXaca,
and many new plantations for it's Gull
tivatiOn have been laid out in the val
ley Of OaXaca.
The cochineal insect, which is the
female of species of wood louise,
feeds upon a plant belonging to the
great cactus 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 enc, with but few spines on the
edges If left alone the plant adds
new leaves from year to year, and will
reach height of from 10 to II feet. The
cultivators of the plant use the new
leaves. after they have grown to about
four inches broad in the largest diam
eter as sprouts for replanting and
making fields for the cultivation Of the
insect. The planting is done in shall
low trenches, about two Or three
inches deep, dug about 21a feet apart.
The sprouts are set at a distance of
about IS inches from each other. and
generally take root very rapidly after
having been set out. and grow new
leaves. Within years time they are
ready to receive the insect
As a rule there are men who make
business of supplying planters with
the seed or mother insects which are
set out in October or after the rainy
season is over, as a heavy rain would
wash the insects off the plants and
cause irreparable damage, because the
insects would be either a total loss by
drowning or become so weakened by
the rain that they could not return to
the plant. The insects are planted on
the leaves in the following manner:
About 20 or 50 are placed in a small
tube, closed at the one end, about two
inches long and half an inch in diam
eter, made of the fiber of the species
OF the maguey plant. The tube is
closed with moss. after having been
loaded, and fastened to a leaf by run
ming a spine through it and bending it
onto the leaf From two to six of
these tubes are fastened to each leaf.
according to the size of the latter. and
the entire plant is then covered with
mat. Within a few days after tiny
specks, barely visible to the naked eye,
except that of the trained Indian. be-
gin to appear on the leaves, covering
them after while with larger spots,
looking like mildew. If one of them
is touched it will leave a bright GRIM
son stain.
After the leaves appear to be COW
cred 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 them produces the
finest quality of cochineal, and it is
generally rated at several cents more
a pound, the color produced by them
being of special richness. The mat
covering is removed from the plant