REPORT  ON  OPIUM  PRODUCTION  IN  WURTEMBERG.  563 
in  fact,  for  all  manipulations  where  the  object  is  to  produce  a  thin 
uniform  coating  of  wax  on  any  foreign  substance.  The  benzine 
evaporates  completely  inside  of  a  few  hours  without  leaving  a 
trace  of  smell  behind. 
The  best  solvent,  however,  I  found  to  be  bisulphide  of  carbon. 
This  substance  readily  produces  a  concentrated  clear  solution  of 
wax,  even  without  the  aid  of  heat,  and  evaporates  so  quickly,  that 
wax  paper  produced  by  its  aid  is  ready  for  use  within  a  few 
minutes  after  being  impregnated.  This  latter  manipulation 
should  be  performed  quickly  and  on  both  sides  by  means  of  a 
soft  sponge. 
This  solution  will  be  found  especially  adapted  for  coating 
gypsum  statuettes  and  other  similar  work. 
It  may  also  be  used  for  closing  up  small  cracks  in  furniture 
prior  to  being  varnished  or  painted,  as  also  for  bedsteads  to  ex- 
clude bed  bugs.  For  the  former  purpose  it  may  be  colored  to 
harmonize  with  the  furniture. 
The  use  of  this  "Wax  Varnish."  will  be  found  very  conve- 
nient, especially  during  the  summer  months,  when  gas,  stoves 
and  charcoal  furnaces  are  in  general  use,  which  will  not  produce 
the  uniform  heat  over  a  large  surface  that  is  necessary  to  make 
good  wax  paper  according  to  the  usual  plan. 
Cincinnati^  August^  27,  1870. 
Drug.  Circ.  ^  Chem.  Gaz.  Oct.,  1870. 
REPORT  ON  OPIUM  PRODUCTION  IN  WURTEMBERG. 
By  Julius  Jobst.  ^ 
The  author  states  in  this  report  the  results  of  this  year  as 
follow  : 
Though  large  quantities  of  poppies  were  sown  last  spring,  the 
crop  rarely  did  well  in  consequence  of  the  continued  dry  weather. 
This  alone  put  an  end  to  any  prospect  of  considerable  develop- 
ment in  opium  cultivation  for  the  present  year,  and  the  scarcity 
of  laborers  at  the  time  of  gathering  was  for  a  time  a  further 
hindrance.  Subsequently,  when  the  influence  of  the  war  had 
driven  many  to  this  work,  the  best  time  for  collection  was  past, 
and  the  poppies  ripened  too  quickly,  owing  to  the  great  heat. 
