NOTES ON THE AGRICULTURE, 



BOTANY AND ZOOLOGY 



OF CHINA 



B. W. SKVORTZOW 



XXXIX 1 . — The Poppy Culture in North Manchuria. 



The Poppy plant in North Manchuria has been cultivated! 

 for opium from the 18th century. It was cultivated here 

 long before the Chinese emigration from the South and the- 

 arrival of Eussians, Japanese and Coreans from the West 

 and East. 



Twenty years ago a great area of land in Manchuria was. 

 covered with poppy plant and all the richest soils of the 

 great valley of the Sungazi were under this crop. About 

 10 per cent, of all arable ground during these times was 

 also under the poppy. 



The cultivation of poppy was free of taxation, and very 

 profitable. The crop realized usually from two to three 

 times the value of wheat or other cereals. 



After the edict of 1908 by His Majesty Kwanghsu, 

 directing that the growth, sale and consumption of opium 

 cease within ten years, the poppy culture stopped in many 

 districts of North Manchuria, but in others it was still 

 continued. After the edict of 1908 the prices of Manchurian 

 opium rose to from ten to thirty times what they were before. 

 The poppy fields were situated in mountainous districts, far 

 from the eyes of local Chinese authorities, or in spots under 

 the protective control of officials and the military. 



After the edict of 1908 poppy cultivation began in the- 

 Ussuri district in the Eussian maritime province, the culti- 

 vators being Chinese and Koreans. The opium produced' 

 there now is smuggled into Manchuria. 



In 1912-1915 the cultivation of the poppy was not so 

 extensive as in 1918-1919 and in 1920. During the last two 

 or three years poppy culture has been greater than ever 

 before. 



The principal poppy district in North Manchuria is along 

 the Eastern part of the Chinese Eastern Eailway from Sui- 

 fenho to Maoershan Eailway Stations. 



1 Sections I — XXXII appeared in Vol. L., pages 49 — 107 and ; 

 Sections XXXIII— XXXVIII appeared in Vol. LI., pages 135—158. 



