Page:Journal of botany, British and foreign, Volume 9 (1871).djvu/241

 219

��ORCHILLA.

Orcliilla of a fine quality has been discovered in Lower California. An expedition is fitting out at New York to gather orchilla in its newly found south-western home. What is orchilla, that California i)apers should crow over its existence in that lonsr peninsuha, and why should it be thought a good specuhxtion to ship 3U0 men, women, and cldhlren from New York, passage free, to go out there and gather it ? We will answer these questions. Orchilla weed, orchella, orchal, oi* archil — for by tiiese divers names it is known — is a lichen, which yields a beautiful violet-reddish dye. It is used to some extent for colouring silks and woollens, and has only the fault, but a serious one, that it lacks perma- nence. Notwithstanding that defect, it is still an article in re(|uest among dyers, and its production hitherto being limited, commands good prices. Its principal sources of supply for Euro|)e are the Canary and Cape de Verde Islands, Barbary, and the Levant ; to these have been recently added Ecuador, Peru, and the Gallapagos Islands. Those who glance over the tables of imports must have observed it now and then appearing among the items along with annatto, argols, divl-divi, garan- cine, meliothe, safflower, and other herbs, roots, woods or gums of out- landish names. Last year this country imported .^14,900 worth of orchilla weed, and ^4700 worth of orchilla liquor or tincture. Its value in England, which is its principal market, varies greatly from time to time. In seasons of scarcity it has been as liigh as £1000 per ton ; but is now quoted at 26«. to 66*. per cwt., according to quality. It grows on bushes and stones near the sea ; and in some regions so abundantly that a quarter of a ton may be picked by one person in a day, a profitable busi- ness if it could l)e kept up at present prices. Of the profusion and the quality of orchilla in Lower California we avouch nothinii; from our own knowledge ; but it is probably not inferior to the Old World article, since that from Ecuador, on the Pacific coast, is said to be fully equal, if not superior, to its European and African competitors. Still less would we like to commit ourselves to an endorsement of the novel enterprise of shipping colonies from New York to hunt for this valuable lichen in Lower California. They go out, we understand, at the expense of a Guayaquil house, which makes a speciality of the orchilla trade, tliougjj they are under the patronage of the Lower California Company, which has an interest in populating the peninsula. Not having been fortunate as yet in inducing emigration to that region, the Company may think themselves lucky if orchilla, at fabulous prices per ton, should attract settlers there. On this point we liave nothing but to quote the assurances of California papers that it abounds along the coast, that it is not unifonn in quality, and that experience and skill are necessary in gathering it to obtain the better and only saleable kinds. Incidei'itally, we may mention that the increased consumption of orchilla in Lurope as a substitute for cochineal is said to have ali'ectcd the value of the latter production. A subsidiary use of orchilla is, in its alcoholic infusion, as the red liquid in spirit thermometers. — New York Journal of Cuminerce, March -^Ih, 1871.

�� �