The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-04-15

RAISING DRUG PLANTS
By GEORGE E. WALSH


| continues to yield an income for III
simple work of harvesting it, To max
| 1t profitable il should be raised Oh
fairly liberal scale-not less than iiv
or ten acres. In The South IN partic
ular it can he raised III little cost. |
can be started from seed. and then i'll
creased rapidly by cuttings, so tia
within two or three years a plantation
| should be in full growth. The leave
are simply stripped from tie bushe
and dried out of doors on wooden racks
after which they are balcd for market
Belladona. henbane and stramoniun
grow in this country under cUltiva
! ton. SO that good crops can be har
vested, and they all occur here as vii,
plants or weeds. We import Guantitie
Of all three from middle and southern
Europe. and pay :: good price for them
All OF these are susceptible to cultur,
in small gardens. their roots CROWN:
rapidly. and their leaves furnishing II
abundance Of medicinal material fol
drug purposes. Stramonium is an an
nual. and must be planted from seet
each year, but belladona and henban,
are biennials, and can be increased by
root division. The leaves are collected
and dried in warm, airy places fol
market.
Prices for these drugs, are moderately
good, and IN acre Of ;and devoted Il
their culture should yield far prot IS
the labor Of cultiyalin@ is small. Tic
chief item of expense being harvesting
and drying of the leaves. In the ease OF
belladOna the roots are also collected
and sold for medicinal pu: poses. The
work is ell light. interesting and profit
able for man or woman.
While caraway. anise, and corlanlcr
seeds are not usually classed among
drugs in the eyes Of the average per-
son. they are thus classified by dealers.
They are imported in large quantities
from other countries. The value Of
imported anise-seed oil alone is nearly
100000. All three of these plants can
be successfully raised in the Ge
well-draincd garden. The seeds are
gathered just before they are ripened,
and when dried they have Il steady
market at nearly all seasons of the
year. Unlike many garden products,
they are not subject to violent tiuct!!a-
tions in price. nor are they rerishable
goods if held for some time, or shipped
to distant market.
We import nearly S3,O00.O00 worth
Of crude opium for smoking purposes
or in the form of alkaloids derived
from the opium poppy. In many parts
of the South the true opium poppy
grows successfully, and The products
are Of the highest commercial value.
There is needed a weil-drailed, rich
soil for the opium poppy. and the sinai!
seeds are drilled Or sown into rows.
There is more skill required for this
plant than most of tine others men.
toned. When the capsules appear OH
the plant they are gently scrapcd or
scored with knife. and through this
oozes. This quickly coasu!ates. hard
ems, and turns black. 1t is collected
then for medicinal purposes, and re-
fined by various processes. The III
cisiOn on the capsule is not deep enough
TO iniure the maturing of the seeds,
which later are shaken out. and the OF.
is expressed from them. Southern Cal
lfornia, Texas, Florida, and other
Southern States appear adapted to the
culture o.: the opium poppy for CONNER
,ial purposes.
We import some 10000 pounds OF
thyme oil. which is made from the
ordinary thyme OF our old New Eng.
and gardens, while great quantities
If the leaves are used for culinary pur.
poses. The commercial growing OF
.hyme on a small scale should prove a
industry, especially as side |
ssue in gardening or farming where
and is cheap and plentiful.
Lavender oil is Of medicinal value.
md lavender seeds and leaves of great
Oilet value. Our total importations |
# this oil and leaves amount in value |
o over 100000. The lavender Of com
nerce is raised in this country for pri |
ate uses, and it should find place in
he ordinary garden of drugs that one
tarts for profit. Its sweet Odor should
id materially 10 the pleasure of cul
ivating the plants.
Chamolnile flowers, SIENNA leaves, anG
he leaves and flowers Of saffron anC
afflower are imported for the drug
rade to total valuation of abou,
100000. They are all plants thai
hrive in this country, and in the early
Jew England days, when drug stores
we're scarce, they were found in nearly
very herb or medicinal plant garden
hey are found growing wild in some
arts Of this country, especially in the
Ood Of old gardens, where
hey wer.. probably at one time cult
ated.
The roQts of sarsaparilla grow wilc
4 the Carolinas. and they have beer
to some extent in other parts
{ the country, while Orris, gentian, ani
niger roots have been experimental
vith In the warm Southern States.-
'cientifii American.
|
Songs Of triumph are often for tht |
ononered and the slain. I