352

DYEING AND CALICO PRINTING.

stated that cochineal was an insedt ; they even described it carefully, and alsothe plant on which it lived. The Dutch physician and naturalist, Hartsoeker,called attention to this subjedt in 1694, and so did De la Hire in 1704 andGeoffroy in 1714 ; but no one would believe their statements, and it was notuntil 1729 that, through the assiduous researches of Dr. Ruisch, who went onpurpose to Mexico, where he visited the nopaleries of Oaxaca, and publisheda work on this subjedt,* that the question was settled. Mexico has for alength of time been the chief cochineal-producing country, it being obtainedfrom the provinces of Tlascala and Oaxaca, as also from Guatemala andHonduras, in Central America. Oaxaca alone used to yield annually some400 serons. Spanish vessels used to import into Amsterdam about from 2000 to3000 serons of cochineal annually, each seron containing from 130 to 200 lbs.weight.

The cultivation of cochineal was practised in Mexico by the Aztecs longbefore the conquest of the country by the Spaniards. The old SpanishGovernment of Mexico caused the nopal plantations in Yucatan to be burnt, inorder to enhance the price of cochineal. It is only since 1830 that the culti-vation of the nopal cadtus and the cochineal insedts has been spread intoSpain, near Malaga and Valencia, the Canary Islands, Algeria, and Java. Allthese plantations have succeeded, but the most productive are those of Java.Professor Girardin gives the following account of the different commercialkinds of cochineal:—

1. Honduras cochineal is brought diredtly to England ; it is a very superiorquality of cochineal, and is classified as— (a) Black or zacatilla, blackish orbrownish red, shiny, and bearing the traces of a whitish-coloured envelope;the powder of this species is carmine-red coloured, but in water it becomesdeep red-brown. The value of this substance is about 19s. the kilo. ( b ) Grey orsilvery-coloured cochineal; wrapped up in a whitish mother-of-pearl-like butpulverulent coating, consisting of a peculiar volatile substance, which seenwith a magnifying glass exhibits a very distindt crystalline appearance. Inthe state of powder its colour is less deep than that of the foregoing, and thecolour of the moistened powder is less intense. The value of this kind isabout 17s. a kilo, (c) Reddish cochineal, only covered with a white powderin the wrinkles of the body. This kind is less valuable, and does not fetchmore than about 15s. the kilo. All these qualities are imported either in sackscovered by basket work made of cane, or in bags made of leather, and thentermed serons, each package weighing from 75 to 80 kilos.

2. Vera-Cruz cochineal, so named from the port of exportation. This ischiefly sent to Bordeaux or Havre in serons weighing from 80 to 100 kilos.The first quality is known as zacatilla ; the second as grey; the third as reddish.The insedt should be hollow, light, and much shrunk. The sort which iscoarse grained, dull looking, mixed with small and resinous particles, is theleast valuable.

3. Cochineal from the Canary Islands is imported into Cadiz or Marseille.It is not met with at all in large quantity, but the quality is superior even tothat from Mexico. It is packed either in small sacks weighing from 25 to30 kilos., or in small boxes or casks.

* “ Histoire Naturelle de la Cochenille," Amsterdam, 1729, in 8vo., p. 175; also “ PhilosophicalTransactions," xxxvi., p. 265.