FOR VICTORIAN INDUSTRIAL CULTURE. 



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large portion of the Morphia used in medicine. Both the 

 black and pale seeded varieties can be used for the production 

 of Opium. The return of Poppy-culture, whether for opium 

 or for oil, is within a few months. Our milder and somewhat 

 humid open forest-tracts proved most productive for obtaining 

 Opium from this plant; but it can be reared also 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. The Morphia contents in Opium 

 from Gipps Land was at an average somewhat over 10 per 

 cent. Opium was prepared in our Botanic Gardens for the 

 Exhibition of 1866; but particularly Mr. J. Bosisto and Mr. 

 J. Hood have given to this branch of rural industry here 

 commercial dimensions. The Smyrna variety is particularly 

 desirable for Opium; it enables the cultivator to get from 

 401bs. to 751bs. 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 seed, about 

 9 lbs. to an acre, is generally sown broadcast, mixed with 

 sand. In the most favourable 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, horizontal or diagonal incisions are made into the 

 capsules as they successively advance to maturity. This 

 operation is best performed in the afternoons and evenings, 

 and requires no laborious toil. The milky Opium-sap thus 

 directed outward, is scraped off next morning into a shallow 

 cup, and allowed to dry on a place away from sunlight; it 

 may also be placed on Poppy-leaves. Erom one to six 

 successive incisions are made to exhaust the sap, according to 

 season, weather, locality or the knife-like instrument em- 

 ployed. 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. Our seasons here, as a rule, 

 are favourable for collecting Opium, and thus this culture is 

 here rendered less precarious than in many other countries. 

 Our Opium has proved as good as the best Smyrna kinds. 

 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 eleven alkaloids have 

 been revealed in Opium by the progressive strides of organic 

 chemistry: Codein, Metamorphin, Morphia or Morphin, 

 Narcein, Narcotin, Opianin, Papaverin, Porphyroxin, 



