534  Notes  on  the  Culture  of  Drugs.  {\ 
On  placing  these  facts  together  we  have  the  following : 
No. 
Per  Cent.  Resin. 
Specific  Gravity. 
Crystals  to 
Milligramme. 
Starch  to 
Milligramme. 
i 
176 
1 -194 
88 
357 
2 
6-62 
1-360 
125 
140 
3 
7  64 
1-297 
107 
178 
It  is  apparent,  therefore: 
(1)  That  the  increase  in  specific  gravity  appears  to  be  due  more 
to  the  amount  of  crystals  of  calcium  oxalate  than  resin. 
(2)  That  the  increase  in  crystals  is  accompanied  by  an  increase  in 
resin,  though  possibly  not  in  corresponding  proportion. 
•  (3)  That,  in  the  specimens  of  jalap  examined,  there  is  ap- 
proximately an  increase  of  50  per  cent,  in  crystals  and  a  decrease  of 
50  per  cent,  in  starch  in  those  assaying  6-62  per  cent,  and  7-64  per 
cent,  resin  over  that  assaying  1-76  per  cent.,  or,  in  other  words,  the 
two  lots  of  better  quality  contained  50  per  cent,  more  crystals  and 
50  per  cent,  less  starch  than  jalap  of  poorer  quality. 
NOTES  ON  THE  CULTURE  OF  DRUGS. 
By  Frederick  T.  Gordon. 
Belladonna. — The  seeds  of  belladonna  were  supplied  by  Mr.  Kil- 
mer, of  J.  &  J.,  and  were,  I  believe,  from  selected  English  stock. 
These  were  planted  on  May  5th,  and  later,  on  May  14th,  in  beds  of 
different  soils  and  with  varying  amounts  of  sunshine  and  shade  and 
water.  The  seeds  first  planted,  for  some  reason,  did  not  appear 
above  ground,  as  plants  of  course,  until  well  on  towards  the  end  of 
June;  those  planted  later  came  up  on  June  18th  as  two  tiny  leaves 
much  resembling  beets. 
These  were  allowed  to  remain  in  the  original  bed  until  3  or 
4  inches  high  and  were  then  transplanted,  which  method,  by  the 
way,  seems  to  give  the  best  results;  plants  not  transplanted  did  not 
grow  nearly  as  well  as  those  that  were. 
The  soils  were  sandy  loam,  garden  loam  and  loam  with  stable 
manure.  Plants  did  best  in  loamy  soil  with  manure,  in  a  plot  that 
had  shade  part  of  the  day;  those  in  sandy  soil  and  exposed  to  the 
sun  all  day  did  not  reach  a  good  growth. 
