210 
NOTE  ON  VIRGINIA  OPIUM. 
The  crystalline  precipitate,  which  was  impure  and  much  colored, 
was  washed  with  diluted  alcohol,  and  afterwards  with  ether. 
The  residue,  weighing  5  grains,  was  morphia,  still  considerably 
colored,  giving  well  marked  reactions  with  nitric  acid  and  sesqui- 
chloride  of  iron.  The  yield  was  equivalent  to  9*15  per  cent. 
From  the  manner  in  which  this  opium  had  been  made,  being  all  in- 
spissated juice,  it  was  believed  that  its  actual  strength  should  be 
greater  than  was  indicated  in  the  process  tried  by  Prof.  Grahame  ; 
and  assuming  the  sample  of  laudanum  to  have  been  made  accord- 
ing to  the  proportions  given  by  Mr.  Strother,  it  will  appear  that 
this  opium  is  equal  to  fair  Turkey  Opium  in  strength. 
As  there  is  much  interest  at  this  time  relative  to  the  culture 
of  the  poppy,  it  may  be  well  to  copy  a  portion  of  Mr.  Robert- 
son's note  to  Mr.  Strother,  which  is  dated  March  8th,  1869  ; 
"  I  have  received  your  letter  inquiring  about  the  cultivation  of  the 
poppy,  and  the  manner  of  making  opium,  and  regret  that  I  can  give  so 
little  information  on  the  subject.  My  experience  was  very  limited,  hav- 
ing only  cultivated  the  poppy  in  a  garden  on  very  rich  soil,  where  the  yield 
of  opium  was  very  great;  but  I  neither  measured  the  land  nor 
weighed  the  opium.  I  am  satisfied  that  a  deep  rich  soil  is  essential  to  a 
large  yield ;  the  poppy  has  a  long  tap  root,  which  enables  it  to  stand 
severe  drouth,  provided  the  tap  root  can  penetrate  the  soil  to  a  suffi- 
cient depth.  Alluvial  soils  I  doubt  not  are  best.  The  young  plant  is  very 
tender,  of  slow  growth  and  cannot  be  successfully  transplanted.  The 
seed  should  be  put  in  drills  about  three  feet  wide,  the  plants  standing 
from  one  foot  to  eighteen  inches  apart,  or  even  more,  as  it  is  a  very  vigor- 
ous grower.  The  last  of  July  or  early  in  August  is  a  good  time  to  sow 
the  seed,  as  the  plants  stand  the  winter  without  injury."^  The  single 
poppy  I  found  to  yield  more  opium  than  the  double,  and  there  is  less 
trouble  in  obtaining  it  from  the  capsules.  The  single  white  poppy,  or 
rather  the  poppy  with  white  seeds,  is  generally  considered  the  true  opium 
plant.  When  the  capsules  are  about  half  grown,  or  three  or  four  days 
after  the  flower  has  dropped,  is  the  proper  time  to  make  several  longitu- 
dinal incisions  on  the  capsule,  taking  care  not  to  cut  through  the  capsule 
so  as  to  injure  the  seed.  The  incisions  should  be  made  during  the  evening, 
and  the  thickened  juice  which  exudes  during  the  night  scraped  off  the  next 
morning  with  a  dull  knife.  When  it  becomes  sufficiently  dried  it  can  be 
put  up  in  any  shape  or  size  that  is  desired."        -Jf  *  * 
*  This  was  in  the  Valley  of  the  Shenandoah,  Va.  It  is  possible  that  further  north  the 
plant  may  not  be  able  to  resist  the  yiiniv.— Editor. 
