﻿AGRICULTURE. 
  137 
  

  

  were 
  often 
  substituted, 
  however, 
  some 
  using 
  a 
  mucilage 
  

   obtained 
  from 
  the 
  ocra 
  plant, 
  the 
  sassafras, 
  or 
  from 
  a 
  

   plant 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  moave. 
  

  

  The 
  grain 
  or 
  coloring 
  matter 
  being 
  separated, 
  as 
  ascer- 
  

   tained 
  bj 
  test 
  with 
  the 
  silver 
  cup, 
  flakes 
  of 
  the 
  pigment 
  

   being 
  seen 
  spreading 
  or 
  settling 
  on 
  the 
  bottom, 
  it 
  was 
  

   suffered 
  to 
  subside, 
  and 
  the 
  supernatant 
  liquid 
  was 
  

   drawn 
  off 
  through 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  holes 
  descending 
  towards 
  

   the 
  bottom. 
  The 
  indigo 
  deposit 
  was 
  then 
  removed 
  by 
  

   wooden 
  shovels 
  from 
  the 
  vat 
  into 
  draining-boxes 
  lined 
  

   with 
  canvas, 
  and 
  placed 
  upon 
  beds 
  of 
  sand, 
  afterwards 
  

   tranferred 
  to 
  moulds 
  lined 
  in 
  like 
  manner, 
  dried 
  in 
  the 
  

   shade, 
  and 
  cut 
  into 
  cubes. 
  

  

  After 
  undergoing 
  a 
  further 
  curing 
  by 
  being 
  laid 
  on 
  

   smooth 
  plank 
  shelves, 
  where 
  it 
  underwent 
  a 
  sweat, 
  it 
  

   was 
  packed 
  in 
  boxes 
  for 
  exportation. 
  ' 
  

  

  A 
  variety 
  of 
  a 
  delicate 
  light 
  blue 
  color 
  was 
  called 
  

   " 
  floton 
  ;" 
  but 
  that 
  termed 
  the 
  " 
  pigeon 
  neck," 
  from 
  its 
  

   prismatic 
  colors, 
  was 
  most 
  esteemed. 
  

  

  The 
  price 
  obtained 
  for 
  the 
  best 
  quality 
  is 
  variously 
  

   represented, 
  some 
  affirming 
  that 
  it 
  was 
  from 
  one 
  and 
  a 
  

   half 
  to 
  two 
  dollars 
  per 
  pound. 
  

  

  A 
  second 
  cutting 
  of 
  the 
  suckers 
  or 
  sprouts 
  was 
  ob- 
  

   tained, 
  but 
  the 
  indigo 
  produced 
  from 
  it 
  was 
  of 
  inferior 
  

   quality. 
  

  

  About 
  one 
  hundred 
  and 
  fifty 
  pounds 
  of 
  indigo 
  are 
  said 
  

   to 
  have 
  been 
  produced 
  to 
  the 
  hand. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  process 
  was 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  disgusting 
  and 
  dis- 
  

   agreeable 
  character. 
  Myriads 
  of 
  flies 
  were 
  generated 
  by 
  

   it, 
  which 
  overspread 
  the 
  whole 
  country. 
  The 
  plant 
  

   itself, 
  when 
  growing, 
  was 
  infested 
  by 
  swarms 
  of 
  grass- 
  

   hoppers, 
  by 
  which 
  it 
  was 
  sometimes 
  totally 
  destroyed, 
  

   and 
  the 
  fetor 
  arising 
  from 
  the 
  putrid 
  weed 
  thrown 
  from 
  

   the 
  vats 
  was 
  intolerable. 
  The 
  drainings 
  from 
  these 
  

  

  