Things were in this state, without any prospect of accommodation between the parties, when the severe winter of 1709 overtook the combatants. This damaged the olive, nut, and almond trees to such a degree, that there was a great scarcity of their oils; and they were obliged to have recourse to the substitutes, beech and rape, &c. But it was soon perceived that these were far inferior to the oils extracted from the red, white, or brown poppy, which had a much nearer resemblance to the small portion of the olive-oil which the winter had spared. This was consequently mixed with the olive-oil in the proportions of,,, without the least opposition. But when it was attempted to sell the poppy-oil in its pure and unmixed state, the opposition became so violent that the Lieutenant-General of the police of Paris resolved, in the year 1717, to order the medical faculty of that city to make the strictest examination concerning this subject, and deliver in their report.

The faculty appointed forty of the most celebrated practitioners in medicine as a committee of enquiry, who were witnesses to various experiments accurately made, and whose report was expressed in the following terms: "eum sensuissent doctores, mihil narcotici, aut sanitati inimici in se continere, ipsius usum tolerandum esst existimárunt;” that is, they were of opinion, that as there is nothing narcotic or prejudicial to health contained in the oil, the use of it might be permitted.

But this decision was unsatisfactory; and popular clamours determined the court of justice to pass a decree in the year 1718, whereby the sale of poppy-oil, whether mixed or unmixed, was prohibited, under a fine of three thousand livres for the first offence. Notwithstanding this prohibition, the sale of the article was Q 2 clan

clandestinely encouraged and gradually increased until the year 1735, when the court issued a severer decree, enjoining it upon superintendants appointed, to mix a certain quantity of the extract of turpentine to every cask containing 1100 lbs. of this oil; of which not less than two thousand casks were consumed in Paris alone, This attempt to render the use of it impracticable, had no other influence than to annihilate the public sale of the article, but the secret demand for it increased: till at length, in the year 1773, a society of agriculture undertook to examine with the closest attention all that had been alleged, either by writing or otherways, for or against the general use of this oil. Experiments were repeated in the presence of the most distinguished chemists, with the same result, and the Society presented a petition to the Minister of Police, setting forth the great advantages that would accrue both to commerce and agriculture, by reversing the prohibition.

This petition was put into the hands of persons who vended various kinds of drugs, and who had, as a body, opposed the subject of it, with orders to state all their objections to the medical faculty; by these means the faculty became masters of every thing that was urged in the debate. They again made several experiments in the year 1776, and finally confirmed the decree of the faculty issued in 1717, declaring that the oil of poppies was not injurious to health, that it did not contain a narcotic power, and that it might be recommended to general use with the utmost safety. The medical faculty at Lisle had also made a similar declaration in the year 1773. From that time to the present the cultivation of the poppy has not met with any formidable opposition; and has increased to such a degree both in France and

Brabant,

Brabant, that they have been able to export a considerable surplus, to the great advantage of the husbandman, as well as the merchant and in seasons of scarcity it has been found of the most essential service, in all cases where the use of oils was required. In the Northern parts of France, it was used by soap-boilers, as a substitute for other oils, which were extremely dear: and in Brabant the oil-cakes are constantly used as food for cattle with obvious benefit.

These facts being established, the, Committee of Agriculture in Amsterdam proposed the premiums abovementioned, in order to ascertain whether the experiments made would authorize the cultivation of the arti cle upon a large scale; whether the soil and climate of Holland were beneficial to its growth; whether the quantity or quality of the oil would be similar to the product of France and Brabant; whether the profits would indemnify the husbandman from giving it the preference to other crops; whether the oils could be afforded cheaper than those in common use; and to what purposes either in the arts or manufactures it might be applied.

Deeming it possible that the narrative of a contest which subsisted the greater part of a century, and in which the advocates for the internal use of the poppyoil were uniformly triumphant, may have some influence in destroying our own prejudices and apprehensions, respecting the pernicious quality of this oil, I shall now proceed to state, in as concise a manner as perspicuity will permit, the most interesting particulars respecting its culture, selected from various foreign publications upon the subject.

Soil. The poppy may be cultivated with success on various kinds of soil. It has been tried on a rich black soil, peat-ground, and sandy heaths, and been productive. Those lands in which the wild poppy abounds the most, are obviously most congenial to its nature. The richer the soil, and the clearer from weeds, the larger will be the crop. It is not so adviseable, however, to mainire for the poppy, as for the crop preceding it, as it is more exposed to injury by weeds. Hence it succeeds the best after carrots, cabbage, potatoes, &c. The land was generally prepared by the spade, as in planting potatoes; and the finer it is worked the greater the advantage. But when it is cultivated to a great extent, they use the plough. The seed has generally been sown broad-cast, the plants thinned, and weeded afterwards, as in the culture of turnips; but in drills it is sown about six or eight inches distant in the rows, which has been strongly recommended; experiments upon a small scale having manifested a superiority in this mode.

The kind and quantity of seed. Although the white poppy has been chiefly used in France and Brabant, under the supposition that it produced the finest ail, yet it has been found that various other kinds will answer the purpose as well. It is even asserted that the blue poppy, while it yields the largest quantity of seed, is in no respect inferior in the quality of the oil. Adoniral Kinsbergen, whose private virtues render him no less a favourite with his countrymen, than his skill and courage as a naval officer, instituted an experiment with different kinds of seeds in the same soil, and he could not perceive any difference in the quality of the oil, while the seeds of the blue poppy yielded considerably more.

The

The quantity of seed generally used in the broad-cast has been after the rate of 2 lbs. to an English acre. In drills a lesser proportion has been used.

Time of sowing. This is from the middle of March to the middle of April. If it be sown much earlier, it is more likely to be choaked by weeds; if later, the harvest will be thrown deep into the autumn; and unless the weather be unusually favourable, the seeds will not ripen kindly.

Weeding. As soon as the plants appear about two inches above the ground, they must be carefully weeded and thinned, till they stand about seven or eight inches from each other. The weeding to be repeated as often as it shall appear necessary.

TO BE CONCLUDED IN OUR NEXT.

An Experiment on Soap-Suds as a Manure.

By Mr. G. IRWIN, of Taunton; with Remarks by the

Rev. THOMAS FALCONER.

From the LETTERS and PAPERS of the BATH and WEST of ENGLAND SOCIETY..

A FEW years ago my attention was attracted by the soil of a garden, reduced to a state of poverty, very unfriendly to vegetation. Interest in its future produce influenced my wishes for its restoration. An invigorating manure was necessary; but such a stimulus could not be easily procured. While considering which of the suc cedanea within my reach had the greatest probable appearance of succeeding, it occurred, that possibly some trivial advantage might be derived from the oil and alkali suspended in the waters of a washing. Pits were imme.

diately