224 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Cactee. 
the introduction of the different kinds of Opuntia by Dr. Anderson into Madras, as it 
was at that time common in every part of the Peninsula of India. 
. The luxuriant existence over so great an extent of India of a species of Opuntia, 
whether indigenous or not, suggests the introduction and extended culture of Cochineal, 
notwithstanding that this has already been tried and failed. But it may be observed, 
that so little was known respecting the kind of insect introduced, the mode of treating 
it, or the climate best adapted for it, that the experiment can hardly be considered 
a fair one. Many years ago, Dr. Anderson, of the Madras medical service, introduced 
several of the useful species of Opuntia, which he cultivated in his garden. Captain 
Nelson, an officer of the Indian army, on his return from England, stopping at Rio — 
Janeiro, obtained some of the Opuntia with cochineal insects on it, which he brought to 
Calcutta, and sent to the Botanic Garden, whence they were distributed to different parts 
_ of the country. But so little seems to have been known, whether the grana fina or 
grana sylvestra insect had been introduced, that it was inferred to be the latter, as Dr. 
Ainslie states, ‘‘ from its preferring the Cactus Indica, and refusing to feed either on 
C. cochenillifer or Tuna.” Dr. Fontana, in an interesting communication, published in 
the Asiatic Annual Register for 1799, and reprinted in Tennant’s Indian Recreations, 
mentions both the Manilla and Chinese Opuntias, but states that the insects thrived 
best on the species indigenous to Bengal. The cultivation was extended, and the 
quality improved, as in 1795 only five rupees a seer, but in 1797 seven rupees a seer 
were given for Bengal cochineal, when Mexican was selling at about 16-20 rupees. 
The Bengal Sylvestris, Dr. F. states, contains only from 9-16 to 10-16 parts of the 
colouring matter contained in the Mexican. The cultivation, however, was subse- 
quently given up, probably on account of the decreased price of cochineal, and the 
more profitable cultivation of indigo; but latterly it seems again to have been resumed, 
as I have seen some good specimens of cochineal made in Bengal. 
It is not intended by the above notices to recommend the resumption of a cultivation, 
which has been tried, and appears to have failed, but only that as the experiment is 
inconclusive, in consequence of the grana fina insect not having been introduced, and 
the sylvestra only into the southern parts of India, it seems worthy of repetition under 
more favourable circumstances, and in situations not so well adapted for the staple 
articles of Indian commerce, especially as in these, the Cactus thrives particularly 
well.* 
85. GRossULARIES. 
* The cochineal, Coccus Cacti, is chiefly cultivated with any care in Mexico, where the grana fina is sown on 
the plants about the 10th of October, on the return of the fine weather, the females having been kept under 
cover during the rains, The grana sylvestra is gathered from insects in a wild state; but cochineal is also 
imported from Georgia and South Carolina, and some of the West-India islands. It has also been tried in 
Peru, Hayti, and Brazil. The imports are from 220,000 to 330,000 Ibs., and have been as high as 700,000|bs., 
but the price at present is low, and kept down by the importation of large quantities (600,000Ibs.) of lac, the 
produce of another species of Coccus, C. lacciferus, peculiar to India. A demand, however, exists for it in Central 
Asia, as we learn from Lieut. Burnes they give at Herat thirty-two rupees a-seer, for some which they import 
e from 
