The cultivation and preparation as conducted in Bengal are as follows :—The lands selected for poppy-culture are usually in the vicinity of villages, where the facilities for manuring and irrigation are greatest. On a rich soil, the cultivators often take a crop of maize or vegetables during the rainy season, and after its removal in September, prepare the ground for the poppies. Elsewhere, the poppy-crop is the only one taken throughout the year, and from the commencement of the rains in June-July, till October, ploughing, weeding and manuring are successively carried on. The final preparation, in October-November, consists in loosening the soil with a plough, and subsequently breaking down the surface to a fine condition by draggiug a heavy log over it. The seed is then sown broad-cast about the lst-15th November. After 3-4 days, the plough is passed over to bury the seed, and the surface is again levelled by means of a heavy log. It is then divided into square beds, measuring about 10 ft. each way, and with little channels between for purposes of irrigation. The amount of irrigation necessary depends upon the season : if some heavy showers fall in December-February, two irrigations may suffice ; but in a cold season with little or no rain, it may need repetition 5-6 times. The seeds germinate in 10-12 days. After the plants have reached a height of 2-3 in., they are carefully weeded and thinned. In favourable situations, they vegetate luxuriantly, commonly attaining a stature of 4 ft. About 31 months are required by the plant in arriving at maturity, the cultivation being restricted to the cold season, November-March. During growth, the plant has to contend with several enemies. It may be nipped by unusually severe frosts, or may be stunted through the failure of the first sowings, or through great heat and deficient moisture. The roots of many plants are attacked by a vegetable parasite, a species of broom-rape called tokra (Orobanche indica). Another fatal disease, termed murha, is attributed to an infusorial worm, which corrodes the tender roots. Khurka is a kind of blight arising from sudden excessive damp.
Towards the middle of February, when the plant is in full flower, and just before the time for the fall of the petals, these are carefully collected. They are then formed into circular cakes, 10-14 in. in diameter in. in thickness, in the following manner :—A circular shallow earthen or iron vessel is heated by inversion over a slow fire. A few petals are then spread upon its heated convex surface, and as soon as their glutinous juice exudes, others are added to the moist surface, and pressed down by means of a cloth. This process is repeated with more layers, until the cake has reached the desired dimensions. These cakes of petals, technically known as "leaves," on reaching the opium factory, are sorted into three classes, according to size and colour. The small and dark-coloured " leaves " are used in forming the inner portions of the shells of the opium cakes, while the largest and least discoloured are reserved for the outside coverings.
A few days after removing the petals, the poppy heads or capsules are fully developed, and the collecting of the opium commences, lasting in Behar from 20th February to 25th March, in Malwa, March-April. The scarification of the capsules takes place at 3-4 p.m., and is performed by means of nushturs, bunches of (3-5) forked blades, about 6 iu. long, and increasing from in. wide at the handle-end, to 1 iu. at the blade (Fig. 999). The sides of the fork are sharpened and slightly curved.
The blades are bound together with cotton thread, which is at the same time passed between them, so as to separate the cutting-ends by about in. The protrusion of the points is limited to about A in., which thus determines the depth of the incision. Only one set of points is used at a time, and the incisions are made vertically, from base to summit, usually along the eminences on the outside of the capsule, which mark the attachment of the internal dissepiments. This is supposed
to be the most effective way of scarifying ; but in some parts of Bengal, horizontal incisions are adopted, as in Asia Minor. The number of incisions (2-6) varies with the size of the capsule, and 2-3 days are allowed to alternate. A little milky-white jnice exudes almost immediately, and quickly becomes coated with a slight pellicle, from the solar heat. The exudation, evaporation, and inspissation of the juice continue throughout the night, and are affected by the same causes as elsewhere, already noted. Tho collection of the juice takes place early on the morning following the scarification. In Bengal, it is performed by a small sheet-iron scoop (seetoah), which is twice drawn briskly upwards over each incision, and is occasionally emptied into an earthen vessel carried for the purpose. In Malwa, a flat scraper is used ; attached to the upper part of the blade, is a small piece of cotton soaked iu linseed-oil, with which the thumb and the edge of the scraper are occasionally smeared, to prevent adhesion of the juice. This lowers its quality. A still worse practice is the use of water for the same puipose.
The stems and leaves of the poppies are left standing after the removal of the seeds and capsules, till perfectly dried by the hot winds of April-May, when they are gathered, and crushed into a coarse powder, termed "poppy-trash," used iu packing the opium cakes. The collected juice as brought home, consists of a wet, granular, pinkish mass, beneath which collects a dark coffee like fluid, termed pasewa or pussewah. The whole is placed in a shallow earthen dish, tilted so that all the pasewa may drain off, for the latter injures the physical qualities of the opium, causing it to look black and liquid, while it gives the drug an artificially high assay when tested by evapora tion. It is set aside in a covered vessel until taken to the factory. Meantime the more consistent portion, forming the opium proper, is exposed to the air in the shade, and regularly turned over, in order to ensure its thorough desiccation. This is continued for 3-4 weeks, or until it has reached within a few degrees of the standard consistence, which, in Benares, is a residue of 70 per cent. after evaporation at 93i° (200° F.). The price paid to the cultivator for his opium is regulated by this standard. On reaching the factory, it is turned out of the pots, and weighed in wide tin vessels (tagars) in quantities not exceeding 20 lb. It is then examined by a native expert (purkhea) as to impurities, colour, texture, fracture, aroma, and consistence ; and a weighed sample is evaporated to dryness in a plate on a metallic surface heated by steam, for final determination of the value. The grosser adulterations are mud, sand, powdered charcoal, soot,. cow-dung, powdered peppy-petals, and various powdered seeds. All these are physically discoverable by breaking up the drug in cold water. Flour, potato-flour, ghee, and goer (crude date-sugar), are often used ; their presence is revealed by the odour and consistence they impart. Many vegetable juices, extracts, pulps, and colouring matters are occasionally added, e. g. the inspissated juice of the prickly pear, extracts from tobacco, stramonium, and hemp, gummy exudations, pulp of the tamarind and hael-fruit, and catechu, turmeric, and mowha flowers. The examination of the drug in a physical manner for the detection of these impurities is the only kind necessary, as the commercial criterions of its excellence are colour, aroma, and texture ; the intrinsic value, i. e. the proportion of narcotic alkaloids present, is less regarded by the buyer.