418 On the Extraéion of Opium. 
this Society, I have taken the liberty to fubjoin a few exe 
tra¢ts from a memorandum on the fubjeét part of a work 
on the arts, manufactures, and agriculture, of Hindooftan, 
colleéted at various times during: my refidence in India. 
I do not pretend to any practical knowledge ; but if it may 
afford the leaft hint to thofe engaged in the Athi I thall 
feel great pleafure in the communication. 
The greateft quantity of opium imported from India is 
prepared in the province of Behar, the foil of which moftly 
confifts of clay, with a confiderable portion of fand. The 
richeft foils of this defcription are preferred by the natives 
- forthe cultivation of the poppy, which is the Papaver 
fomniferum of Linneus. The ground is ploughed’ fixteen 
or eighteen times, and manured with the dung of cattle 
folded on it at night, or rotten cow-dung; the manure is 
ploughed in, and the ground thoroughly broken and care- 
fully levelled with the harrow. The feed is fown in the 
broad-caft way ; and the field is then divided into fquares- 
of four or five feet, leaving an imterval, which is raifed fix 
inches; and on thefe ridges a channel is excavated to con- 
vey: water to every fquare, from a well near the field. The 
plants are five or fix inches from each other, and are watered 
once a week, or oftener, until they are fufficiently ripe for 
the extraction of the opium. . About feven days after the 
flowers fall, when the capfules difcover to the preflure a 
degree of hardnefs, they begin to colle& the opium, At 
fun-fet, a double incifion is made on each capfule, from 
.the ftalk upwards, at one ftroke of the nehrea: the opera- 
tion’is repeated every fecond day, for a fortnight or three 
weeks. The juice which has exuded during the night, 
from the wounds made the preceding evening, is {eraped off 
the capfule with a fmall iron fcoop; this is done early in 
the morning before the dew is difperfed. The feeds are 
yaluable for the oil they contain, and, as an article of el 
are in great > with the natives. 
2 
XIII, De- 
