AmAprii,'i907arm'}     Opium  from  the  Commercial  Standpoint.  159 
color,  fine,  smooth  texture  and  used  for  the  most  part  for  smoking. 
The  morphine  content  is  stated  to  vary  from  7  per  cent,  all  the  way 
to  14  per  cent.  This  opium  sells  from  2  shillings  to  3  shillings 
6  pence  per  pound  higher  than  Smyrna  opium  and  is  largely  known 
as  "  selected  shipping  opium  for  smoking  purposes." 
Turkey  opium  is  generally  marketed  in  the  form  of  rounded 
masses,  which  according  to  their  softness  become  more  or  less  flat- 
tened or  many  sided  or  irregular,  by  mutual  pressure  in  the  cases 
in  which  they  are  packed.  The  lumps  vary  greatly  in  weight,  but 
the  majority  are  between  one-half  to  two  pounds.  The  exterior  is 
covered  with  the  remains  of  poppy  leaves  strewn  over  with  rumex 
chaff  and  fruit.  This  is  done  to  prevent  the  lumps  from  adhering, 
and,  as  far  as  we  know,  is  practised  only  on  Turkey  opium.  The 
interior  is  coarsely  granular,  varying  in  color  from  light  chestnut 
to  blakish  brown.  In  general  it  may  be  said  that  light-colored, 
soft,  gummy  opium  is  fine  quality  and  will  assay  high  in  morphine, 
while  hard,  dark  opium,  unless  this  condition  is  the  result  of  years 
of  keeping,  will  assay  low  in  morphine. 
A  term  which  is  very  frequently  read  in  connection  with  opium  is 
"  Talle-Qualle,"  in  some  such  way  as  "Superior  Talle-Qualle  Opium." 
This  term  means,  "  as  it  runs,"  the  understanding  being  that  the 
purchaser  is  obliged  to  take  the  opium  as  tendered  by  the  seller 
with  the  exception  only  that  he  may  discard  that  which  is  not 
natural  opium  at  the  examination.  Another  term  is  "Visited 
Opium."  This  expression  means  that  any  part  of  the  opium  not 
up  to  the  full  test  may  be  rejected. 
When  an  opium  that  is  quite  fresh  is  purchased  in  the  markets  of 
Turkey,  it  is  customary  for  the  brokers  to  demand  an  allowance  for 
the  amount  of  moisture  in  the  opium,  and  they  in  turn  expose  the 
balls  until  such  time  as  the  opium  has  attained  the  necessary  firm- 
ness, when  it  is  ready  for  shipment.  The  charge  for  drying  opium 
in  Smyrna  is  2  pence  per  pound  and  the  loss  in  weight  is  approxi- 
mately 23  per  cent. 
PERSIAN  OPIUM. 
Persian  opium  occasionally  appears  in  the  United  States,  largely 
for  use  in  manufacturing,  though  it  is  also  prized  for  smoking  pur- 
poses. When  the  crop  is  small  and  the  price  is  high,  Persian  opium 
finds  its  way  only  to  the  Chinese  markets.    If,  however,  the  crop  is 
