Naturalisation in Extra-Tropical Countries. 357 



used for the production of this drug. The return of poppy-culture, 

 whether for opium or for oil, is obtained within a few months. In 

 Hesse Cassel it has recently been proved, that the Poppy-stubbles 

 can well be utilised for sheep-fodder. Mild and somewhat humid 

 open forest-tracts proved most productive for obtaining opium from 

 this plant ; but it can also be reared in colder localities, good opium 

 rich in morphia having even been obtained in Middle Europe and the 

 Northern United States, the summers there being sufficiently long to 

 ripen the poppy with a well-elaborated sap. Indeed the plant matures 

 its seeds as far north as lat 69 18' in Norway [Schuebeler]. Within 

 the tropics it can also be raised, but best during the cool season. 

 The morphia-contents in opium from Gippsland were on an average 

 somewhat over 1 per cent. The extraction of morphine is not diffi- 

 cult. Opium was prepared in the Melbourne Botanic Gardens for 

 the Exhibition of 1866 ; but Mr. J. Bosisto and Mr. J. Hood have 

 given first commercial dimensions to this branch of rural industry in 

 Australia. The Smyrna-variety is particularly desirable for 

 opium ; it enables the cultivator to get from 40 Ibs. to 75 Ibs. of 

 opium from an acre, generally worth 30s. to 35s. per pound. The 

 ground for poppy-culture must be naturally rich or otherwise be well 

 manured ; dressing with ashes increases the fecundity of the plant. 

 The seeds, about 9 Ibs. to the acre, are generally sown broadcast 

 mixed with sand. Seeds underground have been known to retain 

 their vitality for half-a-dozen years [Dr. W. 0. Focke]. In the most 

 favorable places as many as three crops are obtained during a season. 

 The collecting of the opium, which consists merely of the indurating 

 sap of the seed-vessels, is commenced a few days after the lapse of 

 the petals. Superficial incisions, horizontal or diagonal, are made into 

 the capsules as they successively advance to maturity. This opera- 

 tion is best performed in the afternoon and evening, and requires no 

 laborious toil. The milky opium-sap, thus directed outwards, is 

 scraped off next morning into a shallow cup, and allowed to dry in a 

 place away from sunlight ; it may also be placed on poppy leaves. 

 From one to six successive incisions are made to exhaust the sap, 

 according to season, particular locality or the knife-like instrument 

 employed. In the Department of Somme (France) alone opium to 

 the value of 70,000 annually is produced and poppy-seed to the 

 value of 170,000. Australian seasons as a rule are favorable for 

 collecting opium, and therefore this culture is rendered less pre- 

 carious here than in many other countries. Our opium proved often 

 as good as the best Smyrna-kind. The petals are dried for packing 

 the opium. The main-value of opium depends on its contents of 

 morphia, for which the genus Papaver, as far as hitherto known, 

 remains the sole source; but not less than fourteen (according to some 

 authorities even twenty-one) alkaloids have been detected in opium by 

 the progressive strides of organic chemistry : codein, metamorphin, 

 morphia or morphin, narcein, narcotin, opianin, papaverin, porphy- 

 roxin, xanthopin, meconidin, codamin, laudanin, pseudo-morphin and 

 thebain. It contains besides an indifferent bitter principle, meconin 



