OCR Text |
Show WHITE POPPY. 516 other hand, being too forward ; a circumstancehighly dangerous, as the first severe frost is inevitably destructive. On this account, whether by the drill or otherwise, a larger proportion of seed should be sown at this season, for the plants will defend each other; and as all the plants will not be equally forward, so, let the winter prove what it may, provided the seed has vegetated freely, there will be great probability of a good appearance in spring. If unfortunately, however, such a winter as the last should again occur, and the whole plantation fail, a circumstance which has happened to myself, the spring sowing ought not to be deferred longer than the first week in March. I do not without sufficient reason recommendthat this operation should be performed in autumn. The poppies are not only generally larger, but even, when this is not the case, I know from experience, that they will yield a muchlarger proportion of opium; for it seldom happens that a spring poppy will bleed, as we term it, more than twice, while the others will bear scarifying till they are nearly ripe. This, I imagine, can only arise from the length of time the one has been in the ground in comparison with the other. Indeed the differenceis so striking, that if the present winter destroys my plants, I shall be almost tempted to dispose of my spring-sowing to other purposes. In drilling, the necessity of covering the seed by harrowing is suspended by the operation of the machine ; and, in the broad-cast method, a showerof rain will have all the-effect without further trouble or expense. Excepting great additional care, turnip and poppy hoeing are similar, and in every respect may be conducted in the same man- ner. I believe the turnips are rather benefited, they certaialy are not injured, by being shaken, and will recover fromthe ef- fects of a wound; but if the poppies are accidentally touched, they will either exhaust themselves by bleeding, or dwindle so as to be of no value. But it is high time to proceed to the last point I proposed to consider, namely, the production andpreparation of opium. In ordinary seasons, the heads or capsules of the autumnal poppies will be large enough for our purpose in the month of June; for at this time they will have attained about half their growth, or to be equal in size to a small tea-cup. I have invented a yariety of instruments as scarificators ; but as onlytwo WHITE POPPY. 517 kinds were actually used, I am unwilling to trouble the Society with a description of any other *. Seven and sometimes eight boys were employed, from eight to twelve years of age, together with a man as a superintendant. The children’s book, which accompanies the instruments, contains only an account of six, as the eldest, being the son of my gardener, is included in another book. Tec the youngest I gave threepence per day, and, if tractable and well disposed, an additional penny for every additional year. The steel instrument was used by the latter, and the others by the former. I have great reason to be satisfied with their construction ; for, notwithstanding their simplicity, they proved themselves fully equal to my purpose; and so considerable a trial has not suggested any other improvement, than that in the largest the two inner bars only should be elastic ; for the continual pressure of the finger and thumb on the two outer ones, which is absolutely necessary for the others to act, would be avoided, and consequently some fatigue and inconvenience prevented. It is of very little consequence whether the first incisions are made horizontally or vertically with this instrument; for, how- ever luxuriantly the milk may flow, by making four at one time, * Mr. Jones has since added the following description of the instruments, and their mode of application. They remaininthe Society’s repository. The first of these instruments consists of two thinsteel blades, fixed bya wedge in a wooden handle, so as to make incisions about one fourth of an inch from each other. The other is made entirely of steel, and resembles in form the tuningfork of a harpsichord. It consists of four bars, proceeding from a handle of a convenient lengti, a quarter of an inch wide, and two anda haif long, each terminating with a bolster, through which a screw passes that fixes the scarificators. The centre bars should be so elastic as to yield to the curvature of the capsule, upon the outer ones being pressed bythe finger aunt thumb; and by this means four incisions are made at once, at equal distances, This instrument is an inch and three quarters in width; but from the two outer blades, only an inch anda quarter, The bolsters are * quarter of an inch in diameter, and the scarificators a proportionate “nett re 4 Le 4 3 Xe ngti, namely, three-eighths. The wedge in the former, and a longiTe aperture in the scarificators, or blades, of the latter, will regulate the depths of the incisions at the will of the operator, It is of the utmost ‘mportance that these should not be made through the inner corner of the capsules, |