ON THE CULTIVATION OF OPIUM IN ARMENIA. 13 
ART. IV. — ON THE CULTIVATION OF OPIUM IN ARMENIA, 
Translated and condensed from the French of M. H. Gaultier 
de Claubry. By Edward Parrish. 
It has been found by repeated experiments that in some 
tropical countries, opium may be cultivated to great advan- 
tage, whilst in others, as the district of Aiden, where its 
cultivation is extensively practised, it is unprofitable, the 
juice of the poppy, when extracted, being so thin as to fur- 
nish a feeble product, or be lost by running down the plant 
upon the ground. 
This difficulty is attributed, among cultivators, to various 
causes ; by some to the dampness of their fields, by others to 
the exposure of their lands to the south, while some charge 
it to the excessive heat of the climate. Another source of 
difficulty is a deficiency of laborers in gathering the crop, 
from which it happens that some of the plants are too ripe 
and others not ripe enough at the time of extracting the 
juice. 
In Karra Hissar, though the people possess considerable 
knowledge of this kind of culture, yet owing to a deficiency 
of water with which to irrigate the soil, the opium is black, 
and only one-twelfth the strength of the Armenian opium. 
The bombarders of Karra Hissar, in garrison at Kalei Sul- 
lauie, use it, however, with advantage. 
The poppy has been found growing wild at Tekir Dogh 
in a church yard near the sea; but although a little juice 
may be extracted by incision, it was found to be compara- 
tively feeble and inert for want of cultivation. Although 
Jifion Karra Hissar is the seat of the most successful pro- 
duction of opium, yet the desire and taste for its cultivation 
is extending rapidly over the surrounding country, and the 
zeal of the planters is crowned with success. 
In Emide, which is a large town situated near Tarchanle^ 
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