358  Cultivation  of  Medicinal  Plants.      {^Ug°™"  Sg"11- 
shohocken,  Pennsylvania,  embracing  a  few  acres  of  very  good  lime- 
stone soil,  and  in  this  section  and  in  this  soil  they  attained  most 
remarkable  results  as  to  the  size  and  yield  of  the  plant. 
Through  an  arrangement  with  Prof.  Albert  Schneider,  of  San 
Francisco,  Cal.,  very  extended  cultivations  of  belladonna  were  made 
in  that  state,  beginning  with  small  plantings  in  a  garden  of  medicinal 
plants,  finally  extending  to  a  plot  of  upwards  of  forty  acres  in  Castro 
Valley,  Alameda  County,  California. 
A  report  of  these  California  cultivations  has  been  issued  in  the 
Proceedings  of  the  American  Pharmaceutical  Association,  1909,  page 
833- 
The  results  in  California  were  interesting,  but  unsuccessful  from 
various  causes,  including  climatic  conditions,  abnormal  seasons  and 
lack  of  experience. 
Prof.  Schneider's* summary  of  belladonna  culture  in  the  United 
States  is  to  the  effect  that  belladonna  can  be  grown  successfully  in 
many  states  of  the  Union,  and  that  two  crops  can  be  gathered  in  one 
season ;  that  the  alkaloidal  yield  apparently  runs  high  in  cultivated 
belladonna ;  that  the  plant  can  be  grown  more  profitably  in  the  warmer 
states  than  in  the  colder  regions. 
The  writer  understands  that  Prof.  Schneider  has  continued  his 
work  on  belladonna  during  recent  years,  but  the  results  have  not  been 
published. 
On  the  whole  Johnson  &  Johnson  have  had  an  experience  of 
fifteen  years  in  the  cultivation  of  belladonna  in  all  parts  of  the  United 
States,  and  while  this  experience  has  contributed  very  largely  to  the 
knowledge  of  the  plant  itself ^  and  has  directed  attention  to  the  culti- 
vation of  this  particular  plant,  as  well  as  others,  the  results  may 
be  summarized  by  stating  that  it  has  been  very  expensive,  and  from 
a  commercial  point  of  view  has  been  far  from  successful.  But  the 
fact  has  been  established  that  belladonna  can  be  cultivated  in  the 
United  States,  and  the  firm  will  continue  their  work  upon  this  plant 
from  year  to  year. 
Drug  Plants  Which  May  be  Cultivated  in  the  United  States. 
The  Department  of  Agriculture  gives  the  following  as  a  partial 
list  of  plants  now  chiefly  produced  in  Europe  which,  under  certain 
conditions,  may  be  grown  in  the  United  States : 
Althaea,  Anise,  Belladonna,  Burdock,  Calamus,  Caraway,  Conium, 
Coriander,  Dandelion,  Digitalis,  Elecampane,  Fennel,  Henbane,  Hore- 
hound,  Marjoram,  Sage,  Thyme,  Valerian. 
