78 



THE OPIUM POPPY. 



By William Harris, F.L.S., Superintendent of Hope Gardens, 



The opium-poppy (Papaver somniferuni) is an erect annual plant, 

 slightly branched, 2 or 3 feet high with the stem and leaves of a 

 glaucous green colour. The leaves are oblong in outline, pinna- 

 sect, and irregularly sinuous at the margin. The flowers are few, 

 3 to 7 inches across, composed of 2 sepals of the same colour as 

 the leaves, 4 petals which are variable in colour, sometimes pure 

 white with a greenish base, or pale violet with a dark purple or 

 nearly black spot at the base, and numerous stamens. The fruit 

 is a capsule, usually more or less globular, l^ to 3 inches in dia- 

 meter, containing numerous, very small reniform seeds which are 

 white, grey, violet or black. 



As in the case of most cultivated plants there are many varieties 

 and forms. 



The original home of the opium-poppy is probably south-eastern 

 Europe and Asia, though at present it is met with throughout 

 Europe and Asia, north-western Africa and North America. 



The cultivation of the poppy for opium dates from antiquity 

 and was carried on in Asia Minor, Italy and Greece in classical 

 times. The spread of its culture through the nations of Asia ap- 

 pears to have been primarily due to the Arabs. It may be grown 

 for this purpose in any warm country in suitable soil, but the yield 

 of opium in temperate regions, though of equal quality, is small ; 

 at present the great opium-producing countries are India, China, 

 Asia Minor, and Persia, and to a small extent in Egypt : it has 

 also been grown in the south of Europe, in France, England, 

 Germany, in California, Louisiana, and Virginia, and in Victoria 

 and Queensland. The plant is also grown in many parts of Europe 

 for the capsules and seeds — " Poppy-heads" and " Maw-seed." 



Soil. — A sandy loam is considered the best for opium, the pro- 

 duce having a dark-brown colour. Alluvial land is good, but the 

 opium is rather darker, more liquid and less granular. 



Poppies may be grown year after year in the same land if it is 

 manured, the dung of goats and sheep being considered the best 

 manure for this purpose. Ashes are peculiarly valuable as a 

 poppy-land manure, provided the potash has not been allowed to 

 be washed out of them through carelessness. Nitrate of potash is 

 said to be one of the best mineral manures for poppy and may 

 either be applied as a top-dressing at different stages of the crop 

 or scattered over the field after sowing the seed ; — green manuring 

 is also recommended. 



Sowing the seed. — The land having been ploughed and harrowed 

 the seed is sown in India about the middle of November and must 

 be concluded in December. The seed is moistened the night be- 

 fore sowing, mixed with fine earth, and scattered broadcast at the 

 rate of about 9 lbs, of seed per acre, and seed, according to variety, 

 costs in France from 5d. to 8d. per lb. 



