The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1913-11-07

ture on the coast and on the lofty
plateau in the interior Of the country.
A beautiful spring follows the intense
cold, and in the month of March, while
the highest mountains still carry white
snowcaps, the valleys are growing
green; wild flowers blossom every.
where, and the well.known roses In
the gardens round about Shlraz are
already in bud. Very soon the re-
freshing spring showers cease sum
mer approaches rapidly, in this part
of the world, and with the hot wealth
er, gusts OF wind, driving before them
clouds of dust, rush through the partly
cultivated plains and over the ripen'
ing fields. When this time arrives, the
peoples are in full blossom and the
breeze is laden far beyond these pref
ty poppy plantations with the narcotic
odors of the large, delicate white flow
ers that are mixed here and there
with beautiful shaded violet ones. Al
ter a favorable rainy season the poppy
fields are lovely sight, and beau
tiful feature In the landscape. The
flowers stand high and healthy on
their tall, straight stems, and within
them soon appears large feshy
poppy.head which contains the opium
juice, and also later when dry, the
valuable poppy seeds. Such a sight
is delight to the owner of the plan
tatlon. for he sees in prospect a glo-
rious harvest Round about Shiraz as
far as Ispahan, southwark to the coun-
try OF the date palm, great deal OF
opium is grown, and several thousand
chests are shipped from Shiraz to
China and various places in Europe
every season The collecting OF the
opium juice begins in June, when, the
flowers having faded and the leaves
fallen, the poppy heads are ready to
be "bled"
For this purpose a peculiar knife Is
employed II has a thick handle In
which several thin, short blades, an
inch in length, are set and with which
several parallel cuts may be made
with one stroke. When the sun
stands low on the western horizon, the
men with the aforementioned tools
start their work, making one or two
missions In the fleshy green skin OF
the heads on the side towards the set
ting sun. During the cool night hours
the brown, strong-smelling, viscous
Juice oozes out and collects In pearl
like drops on the surface OF the seed
vessel. Before the rising sun gains
sufficient power to dry or crystalline
the sticky substance, the gathering is
in full swing. Stepping carefully
from plant to plant, the men gather
the opium on the broad blades Of their
crescentshaped collecting knives,
which have an upturned back about
an inch high to prevent the juice from
dropping off AS soon as a knife is
full 1t is handed to the owner OF the
field or his foreman, who stands
among the collectors to see that none
OF the precious drops are hidden away
by the workers to increase their daily
wages. AS soon as the mornings
work is over, the fields are deserted
until the afternoon, when new incl
sions have to be made. Each plant is
tapped twice, and large poppy-head
gives from-twenty to thirty grains of
opium. A few days are sufficient to
finish field; then the poppy heads
are left alone and, robbed of their
nourishing juice, the sun dries them
up. In few days they begin to
shrink and change color, and when
they are quite withered and have as
sumed yellow brownish tint they are
gathered by children, collected in
heaps on a suitable spot and threshed
out with long sticks by women. The
seed is then winnowed preparatory to
its sale and export. 1t contains about
forty per cent of oil, which is largely
used in France and other countries in
the place OF olive oil, which 1t re-
sembles closely. 1t contains no OPT