284 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERT. 



and alumina, in atomic proportions, or nearly so. The madder,? subjected 

 to analysis were American, Avignon, and Turkey. The American was 

 grown in Montague, Mass., on the farm of Martin H. Clapp, and the roots 

 used were of four years' growth. The iand upon which it was grown is 

 the "interval" lying near the Connecticut River; it was treated with 

 twenty loads of strong green manure, and one hundred pounds of plaster 

 to the acre ; Indian corn was grown upon it the year previous to planting 

 with madder. The next year the manure and plaster were applied as be- 

 fore, and the madder roots planted. The crop was cultivated the last 

 three years in the same manner as potatoes, with the addition of one shov- 

 el full of well-rotted manure and a little plaster to each hill, late in the au- 

 tumn of each year. The different samples were burned in a muffle, 

 without regard to the percentage amount of ash which each variety 

 yielded. 



The different ashes were found to consist of 



American. French. Turkey. 



Chlo. sodium, 2.61 3.76 4.71 



Carbt. potassa, 7.45 4.40 5.50 



Carbt. soda, 39.23 9.78 22.71 



Silica, 8.48 25.86 27.71 



Phosphate lime, 12.75 19.75 17.85 



Carbt. lime, 23.39 32.76 18.35 



Carbt. magnesia, 6.05 3.14 



Alumina, 3.66 ? 



S9.96 99.97 99.97 



\ 



The American madder, when treated with from 4 to 6 per cent, of chalk, 

 gives colors every way superior to the best French. The "pinks" and 

 "roses" stand the process d'Avisage, furnishing colors which are more 

 "pink" and "rosy" than the French; it also furnishes a purple of a 

 much more desirable shade than that obtained from the French. Used 

 in equal weights, the American gives deeper colors than the French, show- 

 ing a greater percentage of coloring matter. The ground French madder, 

 as imported, will, if treated with an additional amount of carbt. lime, 

 furnish colors which are inferior to those produced by the same article 

 without this addition. 



The French madder will, if treated with a dilute acid, effervesce strong- 

 ly. This effervescence will not take place by treating, any other of the 

 ground woods or plants used in dyeing in the same way, and seems to 

 indicate the presence of a free carbonate. The Dutch madders have al- 

 ways needed an addition of carbt. lime to produce brilliant and " fast " 

 colors, but within a few years Dutch madders have been imported ground 

 on the French process. These do not need any addition of carbt. lime. 

 The Dutch madders, as formerly imported, will not effervesce when treated 

 with a dilute acid. The new " Dutch roots ground on the French pro- 



