i6o 
Lands  Where  Drugs  Grow. 
/Ana.  Jour.  Pharm. 
I      April,  1900. 
many  centuries,  and,  among  the  weeds  rooted  in  the  ivy-covered 
wall,  bittersweet  and  belladonna  are  sure  to  appear.  Around  the 
castle  grounds  of  King  Cynewulf  the  gathering  of  wild  hyoscya- 
mus,  atropa  and  hellebore  is  quite  an  industry.  Over  the  remains 
of  Richard  Baxter  there  is  a  patch  of  elaterium,  while  Tom  Tid 
dler's  ground  is  a  field  of  lavender. 
Many  of  us,  for  the  sake  of  health  and  content,  might  exchange 
places  with  the  drug  grower.  His  farm  buildings  and  houses  are 
substantial  roomy  stone  structures.  The  head  of  the  farm  is  "  The 
Master,"  and  inside  his  hedges  is  a  petty  lord. 
The  working  forces  consist  of  heavy-built,  rugged,  slow-witted 
and  plodding  men  ;  of  boys  who  are  sometimes  dull  and  stupid,  but 
often  lively  in  movement,  and  of  fairly  sharp  girls  with  cheeks  that 
need  no  cosmetics,  and  who  seem  to  be  the  most  industrious  and 
effective  workers.  The  hours  are  long,  beginning  at  daybreak, 
which  in  summer  occurs  at  4  o'clock,  and  extending  to  the  close 
of  twilight,  which  occurs  in  England  at  about  9.30  p.m.  Meals 
and  refreshments  are  plentiful.  Early  breakfast ;  a  10  o'clock  lunch 
served  in  the  field  ;  an  elaborate  dinner  at  I  o'clock  ;  tea  at  4  o'clock ; 
supper  at  bedtime,  with  rations  of  beer  at  stated  intervals.  Wages 
for  good  men  run  from  12  to  16  shillings  per  week.  Girls  and  boys 
are  paid  less  than  half  rates.  All  hands  seem  very  contented, 
good-natured,  well  bred,  and  fairly  well  educated. 
Drug  farming  as  there  conducted  is  not  very  different  from  any 
other  branch  of  farming.  The  farms  which  I  saw  were  remarkably 
well  kept  and  tilled  ;  every  square  foot  of  space  was  utilized. 
The  English  farmer,  as  a  rule,  shuts  his  fields  from  view  by  a 
thick  hedge  or  by  a  wall  of  solid  mason  work.  The  drug  farms 
are  especially  well  barricaded.  Many  of  the  fields  are  far  back 
from  the  main  roads,  and  the  lanes  are  guarded  with  signs  of  "  No 
Thoroughfare  "  or  "  No  Trespassers." 
Commonly  speaking,  only  a  portion  of  the  whole  farm  is  given 
over  to  medicinal  plants,  and  it  seemed  to  me  that  studious  care 
was  taken  to  avoid  any  surplus  crops,  just  enough  being  raised  to 
meet  the  natural  demands.  Thus,  while  there  might  be  a  short 
supply,  rarely  would  the  market  be  glutted. 
The  scenes  presented  on  a  drug  farm  are  of  peculiar  interest  to 
one  whose  province  it  is  to  labor  with  the  products  there  gathered. 
Spread  before  our  gaze  are  wild  fields  of  the  palm-like  leaves  of 
