EGR. account of Rufsian dyes. 287 
them, the proprietors of such soils are exceedingly 
averse to allow them to be dug up, so that they can 
only be obtained for the purpose of dying, by stealth, 
and therefore are very sparingly employed. 
Since, however, it has been proved by undeniable 
experience, that these plants afford a dye far superior 
in lustre to madder ; which might be substituted 
for cochineal, in grounding the colour for scarlet, is 
it not astonifhing that no attempts fhould have been 
made to cultivate these plants by art? We know 
that the root of madder itself, in its native state, is 
nearly as small and insignificant as that of the ga- 
dium: It is probable they might be brought by cul- 
ture nearly to equal those of that plant in size; I fhall, 
therefore, here throw out a few hints, tending to ren 
der the culture of this plant a matter of lefs difficulty 
than it hitherto has been. 
Culture of gallium verum, and boreale. 
What has probably prevented men from hitherto 
attempting to cultivate these plants, is the difficulty 
of gathering the seeds, on account of their extreme 
smallnefs, and their inequality in ripening; nor 
fhould I have known how to get over that difficulty, 
but for the hint afforded by the Tamuls in India in 
cultivating the ché, a plant of a nature very much 
resembling our galium, both in its culture and uses. 
The seeds of the ché being so small as to elude notice, 
they are allowed to stand on the plant till the seed 
pods open, and the seed fheds on the ground. The 
earth is then gathered from the surface where the 
plant grew mixed with the seeds. These are sown 
together on beds properly prepared for receiving them. 
Let our seeds be thus gathered and sown in the same 
manner, 
