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success has not come yet into general vise. 11 is grown as a summer 

 fodder plant and generally eaten green though excellent hay may be 

 prepared from the crop. The plant is nutritions and suitable for all 

 kinds of stock. 



VIII : A deep, friable, rich sandy bam is found to be most sui- 

 table for the plant. Great care must be exercised to see that the 

 soil is heavily manured as the plant makes large demands on it. It 

 resists- the effects of the severest droughts but irrigation, enables the 

 plant to yield more cuttings a year. 



Thorough cultivation is necessary ; old plantations must be reduced 

 by chopping the large tussocks. 



Papaver Somniferum : Abounnom or Khoshkhash ; Opium 

 Poppy ; Papaveraceae. 



II : By seed which is broadcasted on flat at (he rate of about 1 

 kadah 1/3, per i'cdn. The seed being very fine ought to be mixed with 

 earth in order to ensure equal distribution. When the plants are yet 

 verv young thin the sickly and superfluous ones; repeat the process so 

 as to leave a distanee of about 20 cm. between those left. 



II : Generally from October the 20 th to about the end of No- 

 vember, earlier in Upper than in Lower Egt. The seed must be of 

 good quality, a year old and free from damp. 



V : The Poppy-heads are considered ready for scarification when 

 they present a coating of a light brown colour and do not yield easily 

 to the touch. This usuallly occurs about 4 1/2 months after sowing, 

 in March. The work is carried on during the middle of the day 

 and the next morning, the hardened juice which has exuded from 

 the cuts is scooped off with a broad-bladed, blunt knife. The 

 incisions are made horizontally, with a sharp knife, in the centre of 

 the head. Much care and great practice are necessary to ensure their 

 being made of exactly the right depth. Not too-deep nor too-shal- 

 low. As a rule the operation is repeated 2 or 3 times, after which 

 the drug is usually exhausted. The fresh drug contains about 50 % 

 of moisture and in the process of drying, the extract loses about 

 1/4 of its weight. 



