322 DIRECT BENEFITS DERIVED FROM INSECTS. 



of Tillandsia called i'fl.r^/f, which are distributed upon 

 the nopals. In about four months the first gathering-, 

 yielding twelve for one, may be made, which in the 

 course of the year is succeeded by two more profitable 

 harvests. This period of sowing and harvest refers 

 chiefly to the districts of Sola and Zimatlan. In colder 

 climates the semilla is not placed upon the nopals until 

 October or even December, Avhen it is necessary to 

 shelter the young insects by covering the nopals with 

 rush mats, and the harvests are proportionably later 

 and unproductive. In the immediate vicinity of the 

 town of Oaxaca the Nopaleros feed their cochineal in- 

 sects in the plains from October to April, and at the 

 beginning of the remaining months, during which it 

 rains in the plains, transport them to their plantations 

 of nopals in the neighbouring mountains, where the 

 weather is more favourable. 



Much care is necessary in the tedious operation of 

 gathering the cochineal from the nopals, which is per- 

 formed with a squirrel or stag's tail by the Indian wo- 

 men, who for this purpose squat down for hours toge- 

 ther beside one plant; and notwithstanding the high 

 price of the cochineal, it is to be doubted if the culti- 

 vation would be profitable were the value of labour 

 more considerable. 



The cochineal insects are killed either by throwing 

 them into boiling water; by exposing them in heaps to 

 the sun; or by placing them in the ovens {TemazeaUi) 

 used for vapour-baths. The last of these methods, 

 which is least in use, preserves the whitish powder on 

 the body of the cochineal, which being thus less subject 



