RUB 



RUB 



shoots, which, if carefully taken off in the stalks decay, cutting them clown, and then 

 spring, soon after thev are ahove ground, he- slightly digging the ground between the rows, 

 come so many plants. These roots are of a raising it somewhat ridge-ways along the rows 

 dark colour on their outside, somewhat transpa- of the plant.;, an inch or two thick over their 

 rent, and have a yellowish red pith in the middle, crowns; or, if they arc in beds, they may be 

 which is tough and of a bitterish tase ; from the landed up from the alleys to the same depth ; the 

 root arhje many large, four-cornered, jointed same culture being repeated till the autumn of 

 stalks, which in good land will grow live or six the third year, when the roots will be fit for 

 feet lono-, and, if supported, sometimes seven or taking up for use. This is performed by trench- 

 eight ; thev are armed with short herbaceous ing the ground the way of the rows, beginning 

 prickles, and at each joint are placed five or six at one end of it, and opening a two-feet-wide 

 spear-shaped leaves, about three inches long, trench close along by the first row of plants, 

 and near one broad in the middle, drawing to a digging down to the depth of the roots to get 

 point at each end; their upper surfaces are them clean out to the bottom; then opening 

 smooth, but their midribs on the under side are another trench close to the next row, turning 

 armed with rough herbaceous spines ; the leaves the earth into the first; and so on, trench and 

 sit close to the "branches in whorls. From the trench, till the whole is taken up and removed, 

 joints of the stalk come out the branches, which These plants succeed best in a light rich deep 

 sustain the flowers ; they are placed by pairs op- soil: the roots are sometimes used fresh for 

 posite, each pair crossing the other ; these have dyeing, being prepared by washing and pound- 

 a few small leaves toward the bottom, which are ing ; but commonly when designed for keep- 

 by threes, and upward by pairs opposite ; the ing, or to be sent to a distance, are dried in 

 branches are terminated by loose branching some covered airy shed; then all the mould being 

 spikes of yellow flowers, which are cut into four rubbed off, and the roots made sufficiently dry, 

 segments resembling stars. They appear in are sold to those who manufacture them for 

 June. It is a native of the South of Europe, use, if not performed by the cultivator : this 

 the Levant, and Africa. consists in drying them in a kiln or some 



Madder is so essential to dyers and calico- stove-house, &c. then thrashing them to beat 

 printers, that these businesses cannot be carried off the outer skin, in order to separate it from 

 on without it. the inner part of the root, as being of an inferior 



Culture.— They are increased by offsets or suck- quality. The roots being then dried in a kiln 

 ers, from the root's of the old plants in the spring, about twenty-four hours, are removed to a mill 

 as April or the following month; which should be or pounding-house, where they are pounded in 

 slipped offsoon after they appear above ground, by along hollow oaken block, with stampers kept 

 opening the earth round the roots, and taking off in motion by the mill ; and when thus reduced 



the side suckers.with as much root-part and fibres to powder, sifted and put up in casks. 



to each as possible, preserving the tops entire ; The plants are sometimes employed for variety 



which should be planted directly, in the manner in the border or other open parts of gardens or 



directed below. The ground being well prepared pleasure-grounds. 



by frequent deep ploughing, or trenching over, RUBUS, a genus containing plants of the 



and the proper quantity of sets or suckers pro- 

 vided, they should with a dibble be planted in 



rows two feet asunder, and one distant in the 



row, putting each plant low enough in propor- 

 tion to the length of its root, leaving most of 



the green top out of the ground, and closing the 



earth well about each set, as the work proceeds. 



Some set these plants in beds, three rows 



]en<nh-ways, at two feet distance, with wide 



alleys between bed and bed, in order for land- 



ino- ur> the crowns of the roots two or three 



inches deep in winter. 



They shoot up into stalks the same year in 



either mode, but the roots require two or three 



years' growth before they are large enough for 



under-shrubby and herbaceous perennial kind. 



It belongs to the class and order Icosandria 

 Polygynia, and ranks in the natural order of 

 Senticosce. 



The characters are : that the calyx is a one- 

 leafed, five-cleft, perianth: segments oblong, 

 spreading, permanent: the corolla has five round- 

 ish petals, the length of the calyx, from upright 

 spreading: the stamina have numerous filaments, 

 shorter than the corolla, inserted into the calyx: 

 anthers roundish, compressed: the pistilluni has 

 numerous germs : styles small, capillary, spring- 

 ing from the side of the germ : stigmas simple, 

 permanent : the pericarpium is a berry com- 

 pounded of roundish acini, collected into a con- 



use ; during which perio'd they should be kept vex head, concave below ; each one-ceiled : the 

 clean from weeds all the summer by broad-hoe- seeds solitary, oblong : the receptacle of the pe- 

 mg, in dry weather ; and in autumn, when the ricarps conical. 



