ON  THE  PRODUCTION  OF  OPIUM  IN  ASIA  MINOR.  253 
the  exhudation  and  cannot  be  separated.  The  poppy  capsules 
are  cut  but  once,  but  as  each  plant  will  from  one  stem  produce 
several  branches,  and  each  branch  produces  a  flower,  it  is  usual 
to  pass  over  the  field  a  second  or  a  third  time,  to  cut  such  capsules 
as  were  not  ready  at  the  first  cutting. 
The  average  yield  of  a  tolvom  of  land  may  be  stated  as  lj 
chequees  of  opium  (2T^%lbs.)  and  four  bushels  50  lbs.  weight  of 
seed  ;  3  to  5  chequees  per  toloom  is  considered  a  good  and  full 
crop,  and  under  very  favorable  circumstances  a  yield  of  even  7| 
chequees  has  been  known.  The  amount  produced  is,  however, 
exceedingly  variable,  as  the  following  report  of  the  actual  yield 
of  one  toloom  of  land  in  four  different  years  will  show  : — 
1st  year,  one  toloom  produced,  of  Opium,  7  J  chequees 
2nd  "  "  "  \chequee 
3rd  "  "  u  2 1  chequees 
4th  "  "  "  4 1  chequees 
After  the  opium  is  collected,  the  capsules  are  gathered  and 
the  seed  shaken  out  and  carefully  preserved  :  the  plants,  or  as 
they  are  termed  the  straw,  being  then  given  to  the  cattle.  The 
seed  is  afterwards  pressed  in  wooden  lever-presses  and  the  oil 
extracted  ;  this  oil  is  used  by  the  peasants,  not  only  for  burning, 
but  also  for  culinary  purposes.  The  cake  is  given  partly  to  cat- 
tle, and  partly  consumed  by  the  poorer  families,  who  pulverise  it 
and  mix  it  with  their  bread.  A  portion  of  the  seed  is  also  sold 
to  Smyrna  merchants,  who  ship  it  to  Marseilles,  where  it  is  con- 
verted into  oil  for  soap-boilers.  This  oil  is  also  used  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  that  of  linseed.  The  poppy  seed  is  black,  brown,  yel- 
low, or  white  ;  some  districts  produce  more  white  seed  than  others, 
and  it  is  considered  to  yield  more  oil.  The  average  render  of  oil 
is  35  to  42  per  cent. 
After  the  opium  is  collected,  it  is  wrapped  in  poppy  leaves  and 
dried  in  the  shade.  Before  it  is  ready  for  market,  a  meeting  of 
buyers  and  sellers  takes  place  before  the  Mudir  or  Governor  of 
every  district,  and  the  price  is  discussed  and  fixed,  or  as  it  is 
technically  expressed  cut,  to  the  satisfaction  of  both  parties — 
this  price  not  being  binding  to  either.  The  buyers  or  merchants 
advance  money  to  the  peasants  at  an  exorbitant  rate  of  interest, 
usually  4  per  cent,  per  month ;  as  the  Turkish  law  does  not  re- 
