Exceptionally rare work on the cultivation of cochineal and nopal in the Canary Islands, with special observations on this practice in Curaçao and Suriname. Cochineal, a scale insect that lives on the nopal cactus, is used for the production of carmine, which is a red or purple dye depending on the production process. This dye was already produced by the Aztec and Maya peoples of North and Central America as early as the second century BC, and became an important trade product after the Spanish conquest. Europeans then attempted to introduce the production to other places in the world as well, but were mostly unsuccessful because of the specific conditions that are necessary to allow both the plant and insects to flourish. However, in the 19th century both cochineal and nopal were successfully introduced to the Canary Islands. One of the people responsible for this was Don Santiago de la Cruz y Gonzalez (dates unknown), who wrote various works on the topic in order to seek support for the plan. The present work is a translation or adaptation of one of his works, most likely his pamphlet Nueva instrucción sobre el cultivo del nopal y cría de la cochinilla para uso de los labradores canarios (1846), which appeared in the same year. It explains the process of the cultivation of cochineal and nopal, including how to grow nopal, how to harvest and dry the cochineal, and how to keep the nopalry free of pests and diseases. The work, both the Spanish and Dutch editions, are exceptionally rare, as we have only been able to trace one other copy of each.
With some small worm holes in the wrappers and the first and last few leaves, the back wrapper lacks a small part of the upper outer corner, several water stains (mainly at the end of the work and in the margins), somewhat browned throughout. Otherwise in good condition. British Library (1 copy); not in WorldCat; cf. WorldCat 57967123 (1 copy, Spanish ed.).