Proceedings of the Farjiers'' Club. 265 



Hand Coen and Seed Plaxtee, 



Williams & Merrick, Sebeck, Me. This instrument having been 

 given to Mr. N. C. for trial, he states that it seems to work well, and 

 to perform all that is claimed for it. It is easily adjusted for different 

 seeds, and it adds to the expedition of planting. It is more suited to 

 garden than field work, and the ground should be well prepared. 



Opium. 



Mr. G. G. Pattei-son, Brooklyn, California, inquires in what country 

 the poppy is grown from which opium is made, and if there is any 

 boiling or distillation used. 



The Secretary. — The poppy (jx(jx(ver soiamiferimi) originated in 

 the east, but now is naturalized everywhere. It is grown extensively 

 in Europe, often for extracting an oil from the seed which is next in 

 value to olive oil. The finest opium is obtained by making incisions 

 up and down in the green capsules in the evening ; a milky juice 

 flows out, it is suffered to remain till the following evening, to get 

 sufiiciently thick, which we understood to be opium itself. 



Mr. George A. Dritz, Chambersburg, Pa., is evidently addicted to 

 experimenting, and forwards the following communication concerning 



Wheat. 

 The native and foreign varieties are doing remarkably well this 

 season. The kinds that are taking the lead for hardiness, earliness 

 and productiveness are the French white chaff, Mediterranean (all in 

 head at present writing), the French red chaff, Mediterranean, Week's 

 white, Lancaster red, Drihl's white, blue stem, white Hungarian, 

 red American, white bearded, amber Mediterranean, German red, 

 Hallet's English red and white, Rogers' red, Eochester red, Egyptian 

 red, Tuscan amber, three years acclimated. Of the Tuscan red, one 

 year sown, half was winter-killed, the remainder stooling wonderfully, 

 almost covering the vacant ground. This heads late. The Tuscan 

 white was all winter-killed ; also, the California. We are buying 

 these last two for spring sowing, but they do not promise well at pre- 

 sent. I find that wheat received from California, Chili, Peru, and 

 the southern part of Italy does not acclimate well in our wet and 

 cold soils. I find that the varieties that do best come from France, 

 Austria, Hungary and Prussia. These not only hold their own, but 

 improve by cultivation in this country. They are mostly red and 

 amber wheats, bearded, with a few exceptions. Wliite, smooth and 



