The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-26
JOHN CH|NANAN'S OPIUM
JUST WHAT THE DRUG IS AND
HOW AND WHERE 1T IS
GROWN
RARE GROUND FOR THE POPPY
Care Needed In Sowing, as Well
a as in the Cultivation
..@ of the "HOt Air"
Plant.

Everyone knows something about opium,
and but few people know exactly what
1t is. The Europeans. when they are
shown this brown and viscous paste. can
scarcely believe it is the magician from
whom the Chinese demand delicious
dreams. Let US hasten to say that opium
only provokes dreams under the fantastic
pen of romancers; 1t Gains the nerves
and creates pleasant torpor that is ALL
says the Chicago ,Times-Herald
Opium looks Cike a paste. To smoke a
paste seems impossible. but the smoker
manipulates 1T in such a way with the
complicated implements OF the fumerie
that it shrvels and melts while produc.
ing more smoke than an equal weight Of
tobacco or hasheesh
This celebrated poison, which IS sold
Tor almost its weight in gold is nothing
but the juice of the poppy. 1t quickly en-
ilches those who cultivate IT, for Il sells
very soon on the markets, where the de-
mand for It Is always greater than the
supply If the poppy is not more cult
waited 1t is because there is needed for
1t a ground, a climate, and an especial
situation which the countries suitable for
its prosperity have difficulty Of finding.
Without that there is not Chinese. a
Hindoo or a Persian who would not Gull
uVate the remuneratiVe poppy.
Thls plant likes the earth where Il
grows deeply to be mellow enough for its
roots to ramify at their ease This quail
ity Is not rare, and at need Il could be
given 1t arttfic ally, but it has its re-
verse; light earth offers but little con-
slstency, and as soon as the wind and
hard rains come the poppy is uprooted
The earth then, must be firm as we'll as
light, and the two qualities are not easy
to ind. Then the poppy needs plenty of
moisture and does not like dryness; the
field where it is sown should abound in
clay. Then too, 1t is difficult to com
pletely shelter It from the wind
This rare ground being discovered It
VIII not be enough to SOW tho seeds OF
BenaIeS or OF Batna in order to reap q
! plenteous harvest. The cultiVator must
| carefully fertilize it and constantly wet
1t by intelligent irrigation. On the other
! hand, he must pull up all the other plants
| about the field, as their proximity is very
unfavOrable to the health OF the poppy.
These are the reasons why the culture
/ or this plant cannot be carried on IN
! such vast proportions as the counties of
/ Asia would like.
According TO statistics. It has for It's
principal habitat the high plateauS Of the
! interior OF China and their counterparts;
then zone Of similar climatic winding
! from so to 40 degrees north latitude from
! turkey In Asia 20 Cashmere; and at last
! India. The poppy OF Benares and OF
! Smyrna is considered the best producer
/ Of opium. The quality of the product
| diminishes as the distance from the ideal
! zone increases 1t goes without saying
| that this flower Is cultivated In many
other places and sometimes with com
! piete success. but it is always In very
| small proportions.
| In India and in Tonkin It Is sown to-
ward the end OF October. Fifteen kIlos
! of seed are enough for hectare
The seed Of the poppy is very
| small. To avoid putting too much
| IN one place it IS mixed
| with sand and inclosed In bot
! tie, which becomes SENIOR In the fol-
! lowing way The bottle is closed with a
| cork which is pierced and tube or quill
| passed through; then the bottle is shaken
| and the mixture Of sand and seed will
| pour ont regularly on the ground Great
! care must be taken not to sow the seeds