219 



ORCHILLA. 



Orcliilla of a fine quality has been discovered in Lower California. 

 An expedition is fitting out at New York to gather orchilla in its newly 

 found south-western home. What is orchilla, that California i)apers 

 should crow over its existence in that lonsr peninsuha, and why should it 

 be thought a good specuhxtion to ship 3U0 men, women, and cldhlren 

 from New York, passage free, to go out there and gather it ? We will 

 answer these questions. Orchilla weed, orchella, orchal, oi* archil — for by 

 tiiese divers names it is known — is a lichen, wliicli yields a beautiful 

 violet-reddish dye. It is used to some extent for colouring silks and 

 woollens, and has only the fault, but a serious one, that it lacks perma- 

 nence. Notwithstanding that defect, it is still an article in re(|uest 

 among dyers, and its production hitherto being limited, commands good 

 prices. Its principal sources of supply for Euro|)e are the Canary and 

 Cape de Verde Islands, Barbary, and the Levant ; to these have been 

 recently added Ecuador, Peru, and the Gallapagos Islands. Those who 

 glance over the tables of imports must have observed it now and then 

 appearing among the items along with annatto, argols, divl-divi, garan- 

 cine, meliothe, safflower, and other herbs, roots, woods or gums of out- 

 landish names. Last year this country imported .^14,900 worth of orchilla 

 weed, and ^4700 worth of orchilla liquor or tincture. Its value in 

 England, which is its principal market, varies greatly from time to time. 

 In seasons of scarcity it has been as liigh as £1000 per ton ; but is now 

 quoted at 26«. to 66*. per cwt., according to quality. It grows on bushes 

 and stones near the sea ; and in some regions so abundantly that a 

 quarter of a ton may be picked by one person in a day, a profitable busi- 

 ness if it could l)e kept up at present prices. Of the profusion and the 

 quality of orchilla in Lower California we avouch nothinii; from our own 

 knowledge ; but it is probably not inferior to the Old World article, since 

 that from Ecuador, on the Pacific coast, is said to be fully equal, if not 

 superior, to its European and African competitors. Still less would we 

 like to commit ourselves to an endorsement of the novel enterprise of 

 shipping colonies from New York to hunt for this valuable lichen in 

 Lower California. Tliey go out, we understand, at the expense of a 

 Guayaquil house, which makes a speciality of the orchilla trade, tliougjj 

 they are under the patronage of the Lower California Company, which 

 has an interest in populating the peninsula. Not having been fortunate 

 as yet in inducing emigration to that region, the Company may think 

 themselves lucky if orchilla, at fabulous prices per ton, should attract 

 settlers there. On this point we liave nothing but to quote the assurances 

 of California papers that it abounds along the coast, that it is not unifonn 

 in quality, and that experience and skill are necessary in gathering it to 

 obtain the better and only saleable kinds. Incidei'itally, we may mention 

 that the increased consumption of orchilla in Lurope as a substitute for 

 cochineal is said to have ali'ectcd the value of the latter production. 

 A subsidiary use of orchilla is, in its alcoholic infusion, as the red liquid 

 in spirit thermometers. — New York Journal of Cuminerce, March -^Ih, 1871. 



