120  CULTURE  OF  OPIUM  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
CULTURE  OF  OPIUM  IN  THE  UNITED  STATES. 
By  the  Editor. 
There  lias  arisen  in  several  parts  of  our  country  a  desire  to 
try  the  culture  of  the  poppy  with  a  view  to  its  narcotic  product — 
opium  ;  want  of  success  in  some  instances  has  been  due  to  bad 
seed.  A  letter  from  Mr.  W.  P.  Creecy,  of  Vicksburg,  Miss., 
says  : — "  In  response  to  your  inquiry  '  concerning  my  success  in 
in  the  experimental  culture  of  the  poppy,'  I  have  to  state  that 
I  totally  failed.  I  procured  the  best  imported  seed  that  the 
Department  of  Agriculture,  at  Washington,  afforded.  I  divided 
the  seed  into  three  parts.  One  lot  was  planted  in  the  rich  alluvial 
soil  of  the  river  bottoms  ;  this  was  superintended  by  one  of  the 
best  practical  planters  of  this  section,  but  none  came  up.  Lot 
No.  2  was  planted  in  the  higher  ground  of  the  hills,  with  the 
same  result.  Lot  3  was  carefully  planted  in  garden  soil,  richly 
manured,  with  the  same  result.  I  am  thus  forced  to  believe  that 
the  seed  were  worthless^  as  the  common  garden  poppy  grows 
luxuriantly  here.  Could  I  get  some  really  good  seed  I  would 
feel  sure  of  success  in  producing  an  excellent  article  of  opium, 
the  climate  being  in  my  judgment  admirably  adapted  to  the  cul- 
ture of  the  plant." 
In  the  Ledger  of  February  12th  is  the  following :  "  It  is 
reported  that  the  cultivation  of  the  poppy  plant  will  be  in- 
troduced into  Louisiana.  A  French  gentleman  at  Natchitoches, 
it  is  stated,  has  announced  his  intention  of  planting  several 
acres  of  poppies  the  coming  spring,  for  the  purpose  of  making 
opium,  under  the  impression  that  an  acre  of  poppies  will  yield 
fifty  pounds  of  opium  worth  (now)  15  to  20  dollars  a  pound,  and 
that  one  man  can  cultivate  three  acres." 
Now  it  is  very  desirable  that  persons  engaging  in  this  business 
should  not  be  deceived.  That  poppies  can  be  cultivated  almost 
any  where  in  the  United  States  there  can  be  no  doubt ;  and  it 
may  be  true  that  one  man  can  cultivate  three  acres  ;  but  the 
point  of  the  matter  is  in  the  gathering  of  the  juice  by  wounding 
the  poppy  heads.  This  has  to  be  carefully  done  with  an  instru- 
ment that  will  not  penetrate  the  capsule,  else  the  juice  is  lost ; 
further,  it  has  to  remain  on  the  capsule  to  inspissate  or  thicken, 
