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the Custom’s returns at £94,455 was imported during 1871 
into Victoria, and this does not provide for a large por- 
tion of 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 Garden 
for the Exhibition of 1866 ; but palticularly Mr. J. Bosisto 
and Mr. J, Hood have given to this branch of rural industry 
here commercial dimensions. The Smyrna variety is partic- 
ularly desirable for Opium ; it enables the cultivator to get 
from 40 lbs. to 75 lbs. 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 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, horizontal or diagonal incisions are 
made into the capsules as they successively advance to 
maturity. This operation is best performed in the after- 
noons 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 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. Our 
