252         ON  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  OPIUM  IN  ASIA  MINOR. 
quantities  of  manure  :  the  fields  in  which  it  is  grown  are  repeat- 
edly ploughed  until  the  soil  is  completely  pulverized.  The  seed 
is  sown  immediately  after  the  first  autumn  rains  until  November, 
and  in  the  highlands  even  later.  It  is  sown  broadcast  mixed  with 
sand,  to  avoid  throwing  too  large  a  quantity.  A  toloom  or  hide 
of  land  (1600  square  yards)  requires  from  one-fourth  to  one  third 
of  an  oke,  that  is  about  three-fourths  to  one  pound  weight  of  seed. 
After  the  seed  is  sown,  a  harrow  peculiar  to  Turkey  is  passed 
over  the  field ;  this  harrow  consists  of  planks  nailed  together, 
forming  a  square  of  about  four  feet,  to  which  are  harnessed 
one  or  two  oxen ;  a  man  stands  upon  it,  and  drives  the  team  over 
the  field. 
Early  in  the  spring,  when  the  plants  have  acquired  some 
strength,  hoeing  and  weeding  commence,  and  continue  until  the 
flowering  season  ;  this  occupation  devolves  principally  on  the  wo- 
men and  children,  who  are  all  employed.  It  is  not  customary 
for  large  landed  proprietors  to  grow  opium,  nor  would  it  pay 
them,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  they  would  experience  in  pro- 
curing laborers  on  hire.  Every  peasant  either  possesses  or  rents 
as  much  land  as  he  and  his  family  can  cultivate,  and  grows  opium 
on  his  own  account.  About  the  end  of  May  the  plants  arrive  at 
maturity,  and  the  flowers  expand  ;  they  are  mostly  single,  and 
either  white  or  purple.  A  few  days  after  the  petals  have  fallen, 
the  head  or  capsule  is  ready  for  incision.  In  this  operation  the 
whole  family  commonly  take  part ;  it  is  performed  in  the  after- 
noon of  the  day,  and  in  the  following  manner :  A  transverse  in- 
cision is  made  with  a  knife  in  the  lower  part  of  the  capsule,  the 
the  incision  being  carried  round  until  it  arrives  nearly  at  the  part 
where  it  commenced ;  sometimes  it  is  continued  spirally  to  half- 
way beyond  its  starting-point.  The  greatest  nicety  is  required 
to  avoid  cutting  too  deep,  and  penetrating  the  interior  coating  of 
the  seed  vessel,  as  this  would  cause  the  sap  or  milk  to  flow  into 
the  inside.  The  following  morning  the  capsules  are  scraped  and 
the  inspissated  juice  placed  on  a  leaf ;  if  the  dew  has  been  heavy 
during  the  night  the  yield  is  greater,  but  the  opium  is  dark  in 
color  ;  if  on  the  contrary  there  has  been  no  dew,  then  the  yield 
is  less,  but  the  opium  is  of  a  lighter  color.  A  high  wind  is  pre- 
judicial, as  the  dust  raised  from  [the  pulverized  soil  adheres  to 
