110 on the culture of madder. May 23, 
iever alter, or whether the Zealand sort may not have 
been originally the same sort debased by culture, is a 
question that may afford some amusemeut for the speculative 
philosopher to solve,—it is of no consequence for the far- 
mer to trouble his head with it; all that imports him to 
know is, that in the situation they can be put under his 
power, they pofsefs certain properties invariably, which 
must influence his conduct in cultivating them, and to 
which he ought to attend, if he hopes to derive profit 
from the crop. if 
The culture of the common madder has been so oftew 
detailed in print, that many of my readers will be ac- 
quainted with it. Off-sets that fhoot out from the roots, 
-are planted in rows in the month of March. ‘The ground. 
is kept-clean, and the earth dug at times, or horse hoed 
between the rows. The crop is ready for taking up at 
the end of the second year. The greatest difficulty atter- 
ding the culture of this plant, at present, is the drying the 
root properly, and reducing it to powder. To do this, a par- 
ticular apparatus is required, and much nicety in the ope- 
rations is necefsary. This deters people from making 
small trials; and wise men are seldom disposed to enter 
at /arge into any new undertaking with which they are 
not fully acquainted. If the root were used by the manu- 
facturer in its frefh state, this obstruction to its culture 
would be effectually removed. 
_ Seeds of the Smyrna kind of madder can be easily ob- 
tained, by ordering it from that port. And, from many con- 
siderations, it is very evident that this is the kind which 
would afford most profit to the cultivator in Britain. If 
it were once brought into this country; its seeds could 
be obtained here in abundance, 
These seeds come readily up a fhort time after they are 
sown, during the spring or summer season, Perhaps the 
i 
——— 
ee 
