Am.  Jour.  Pharm. 
September,  1920. 
Belladonna  Cultivation. 
621 
1900,  and  has  continued  since  that  time.  In  191 9  there  were  up- 
wards of  sixty  acres,  and  there  is  about  the  same  amount  in  the 
field  the  present  season  (1920).  From  these  fields  we  have  been 
pleased  to  supply  seeds  for  experimental  cultivations  in  various 
parts  of  the  country,  and  to  give  growers  the  benefit  of  our  exper- 
ience. 
Method  of  drying  belladonna  herb  by  hanging  in  warehouse. 
Climate  and  Soil. — Belladonna  can  be  grown  in  every  State 
in  the  Union,  and  in  Canada.  It  is  naturally  a  shade  plant,  but  it 
grows  well  in  open  localities  having  cool  nights  and  considerable 
atmospheric  moisture,  such  as  abundant  fogs.  When  well  rooted, 
artificial  soil  moisture  (irrigation)  is  not  essential.  When  soil 
moisture  is  too  abundant  it  is  harmful.  The  plant  does  not  do 
well  in  localities  where  there  are  long  periods  of  intense  sunshine. 
Seedlings  require  abundant  soil  moisture  until  they  are  well 
rooted.  Continued  dry  weather  and  sunshine  are  harmful.  When 
heavy  rain  is  followed  by  hot  sunshine  there  is  apt  to  be  a  scalding 
of  the  plants,  and  it  is  for  this  reason  the  ground  should  be  well 
drained. 
In  our  plantings  we  have  found  the  plants  made  slow  growth 
during  the  hot  days  of  July  and  August,  and  that  their  most  abundant 
growth  was  during  the  cool,  moist  nights  in  the  latter  part  of  August, 
and  in  the  months  of  September  and  October. 
The  following  table  gives  the  mean  temperature  and  rainfall 
