THE FARMER'S MAGAZINE. 



505 



The roots, which in a well-prepared soil extend to a 

 great depth, must be taken up with care, and without 

 injury. Sometimes a plough is passed along the line, 

 and then the work is finished by the spade, but gene- 

 rally it is wholly done by the spade ; the intervals be- 

 tween the beds being dug out to the depth of two feet, 

 and the plants carefully displaced and taken out by 

 means of forks or narrow hoes. The excellent condi- 

 tion in which, under such cultivation, tho land is left 

 for other crops, is a considerable indemnity for the ex- 

 pense and ti'ouble bestowed upon the crop of madder. 

 The plants lie upon the ground three or four days, iu 

 small heaps, in order to dry, and, iu case of rain, are 

 covered with straw. 



In the preparation of madder for market, there are 

 three modes of drying the roots — by the sun, in the 

 shade, and with stoves. When dried by the sun there 

 is a considerable loss iu weight and in the quality of 

 the roots; it is, therefore, preferable to dry them in the 

 shade, exposed to a current of air, although the ope- 

 ration may be more promptly eflfocted with a stove; 

 but by the latter process they lose seven- eighths of 

 their weight. 



When the roots are sufficiently dried, they are re- 

 duced to a powder, first by placing them on close osier 

 hurdles, where they are lightly beaten with flails, which 

 separates tlie earth as well as the epidermis and radi- 

 cles, the smallest of which are used for inferior dyeing. 

 The large roots, which are good and of a red colour, 

 are then ground and cleaned once more, and reduced 

 toa fine powder by passing through a bruising-mill; 

 then packed in barrels or casks for market or use. In 

 Holland the best quality, which is known under the 

 name of "krap," anglicised to ci-op, is prepared only 

 from the heart of the root, that has been previously de- 

 prived of the other parts of less value : there is con- 

 siderable difference also between these parts of tho root, 

 in the loss of weight, which they respectively sustain 

 by drying. When the heart and surrounding layers 

 are separately treated, the amount of this loss is, in the 

 case of the former, 57 per cent., but in that of the lat- 

 ter 76 per cent. The total loss of weight in drying 

 the raw root as it comes from the ground is from 72 to 

 80 per cent., or on an average 75 per cent. After a pre- 

 liminary drying, which takes place in the southern parts 

 of France in the open air, the roots before being ground, 

 are dried a second time, in kilns or stoves, and under- 

 go further loss, say 7 or 8 per cent. But such a loss, ac- 

 cording to experience, is at least from 10 to 15 per cent, 

 of the light red coloured, and from 20 to 25 per cent, 

 of the red roots ; the latter, which are in the greatest 

 demand, being on that account not dried quite so well 

 by the cultivators. We have no data as to the quan- 

 tity of land under culture with madder in France, but 

 looking at the local consumption, and large export, it 

 must be considerable. 



Madder produces to France an annual sum of one 

 million sterling. Its yield varies from £40 to £50 

 per acre, and the expenses upon its proper culture 

 should not exceed one-half that amount. The colonists 

 would find it to their interest to turn their attention 



to such products as this, for which there is an extensive 

 demand, instead of confining themselves exclusively to 

 the commoner and bulkier products, which they export 

 at a much less profit, and which, when once the mar- 

 ket is fully supplied, may fall to a price at which they 

 cannot aflbrd to sell. 



The progressive increase in British consumption of 

 madder is shown by the following return of imports, 

 both of the root and ground madder. In 1839 it was 

 179,434 cwts. ; in 1840, 254,722 cwts. ; and in 1859, 

 355,552 cwts. To which is also to be added now about 

 42,000 cwt. of gaiancino, a concentrated preparation 

 of the dye, obtained by sulphuric acid. On the Con- 

 tinent the root is called "alizari," and the powdered 

 root " garance." 



THE LAW OF MASTER AND SEEVANT. 



By C. Maxxey Smitu, Esq., Bamster - at - Law, 

 H, Sweet, Chancery-Lane. 



Special treatises are now the order of tlie day ; aud, in 

 fact, tliere is hardly a phase of life, the law relating to 

 which has not boon seized on and epitoiuisod, either by 

 some 



" Serjeante at law, wary and wise, 

 Who often had been at the Parvyse," 

 or a Immbler " gentleman of the long robe." Horses, The 

 Farm, and Game have all found tlieir legal exponents of 

 late years ; and when we consider how many and coiitlicting 

 are the disputes whicli arise about servants in the country, 

 we hail tlie present work as a very fitting adjunct to a land- 

 lord's, steward's, or farmer's library. It is but a few years 

 since Mr. Smith publislied his tirst edition ; and the wel- 

 come whioh it received from the public and the profession, 

 as well as the frequency of tlio cases arising in this brancli 

 of law, is best proved by the fact that tho ])resent edition is 

 nearly twice the size of its elder brotlier. 'J'he work is most 

 niethodioally arranged under eleven heads — to wit : The 

 Parties to the Contract; The Contract ; Duties of Servant 

 to Master, and liights and Remedies of Master, and vice 

 versa ; Liability of Master for Acts of Servant ; Liability of 

 Servant to tlnrd Persons for Acts done on behalf of Master; 

 Servant's Character; Offences against Master ; Jurisdiction 

 of Justices, aud Disputes between Maiters and Servants; 

 Combination amongst Masters and Workmen ; and, lastly, 

 Legacies to Servants. Under these heads may be found 

 everytliing appertaining to that class, who are citlier the 

 greatest comfort or the " greatest plague of life ;" and a 

 careful study of them, before giving servants a dismissal, 

 may tend to save many a perplexing dilemma and weary 

 trail to the County Court, as defendant, as well as heavy 

 costs into the bargain. On no subject are masters so posi- 

 tive or so ignorant. The book is most carefully edited and 

 arranged for reference, both as regards index aud marginal 

 note-r and written in a style which cannot perplex tho 

 veriest tyro. 



THE LAW OF THE FARM •. including the Agricul- 

 tural Customs of England and Wales. By Henry Hall 

 Dixou, Esq.,barri9ter-at-Iaw, of the Midland Circuit. Lon- 

 don : V. and R. Stevens and Sons : 1859.— The simple fact 

 that this book has quickly reached a second edition is a proof, 

 not only that such a work was needed, but that the author 

 has satisfactorily performed the duty with which he charged 

 hiraself. He has materially altered, and, in our judgment, 

 improved the general arrangement of the work ; he has 

 modified parts of it by the addition of cases decided since the 

 issue of the first edition, and has had freer recourse to quo- 

 tations of judgments from the bench, where they explained or 

 illustrated the question under consideration. This is a work 

 of especial value to country attorneys and landowners, to 

 whose juttention we therefore recommend it.— £ai'; Tbnef. 



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