552 EUROPEAN AGRICULTURE. 



takes its place ; and where indigo is attainable, it is found 

 advantageous to mix a portion of woad with indigo. The use 

 of indigo, however, much interferes with the cultivation of 

 woad. It is sown both in the autumn and spring. That which 

 is sown in the autumn has the advantage of giving a larger crop 

 of leaves, and of sooner getting out of the way of insects. The 

 leaves constitute the value of the crop, and these are gathered 

 sometimes thrice in a season, the first gathering being much the 

 best. It requires a rich soil ; and the particular kind of soil is 

 not so important as that it should be deep, to admit of the free 

 descent of the tap-root of the plant. Rich alluvions, which 

 have been well drained, are particularly favorable to it. The 

 land should be manured as well as for wheat ; and, above all, it 

 should be kept thoroughly clean. It succeeds well after grain or 

 after potatoes. It may be sown in drills, or it may be grown in 

 a nursery, and transplanted. The plants require to be from a 

 foot to a foot and a half apart. The leaves are gathered when 

 they begin to droop, and turn slightly yellow ; they must be kept 

 free from dirt, and when laid away must be guarded against heat 

 or fermentation. They are sometimes washed, to get rid of any 

 dirt which may adhere to them ; and a dry time must be taken 

 for gathering. 



After being gathered, they are crushed in a mill, resembling a 

 tanner s bark-mill ; they are then made into heaps, where they 

 undergo a fermentation, great pains being taken to close any 

 cracks which may appear in the crust of the heap : after this 

 they are rolled into balls, twice as large as a man s fist, and are 

 then pressed into the form of bricks; and thus are ready for the 

 market. The profits of such cultivation must depend upon the 

 state of trade and the price of indigo. I found this plant culti 

 vated extensively in one part of Lincolnshire, where a large mill 

 had been recently erected for its preparation. The best woad is 

 grown in the south of Prance, where it is largely cultivated. 



12. WELD.* The weld is cultivated for its yellow color. It 

 is a plant which grows wild in many places, and the smaller kind 

 is known in the gardens as mignonette. It requires a soil dry, 

 calcareous, and well cultivated. It will grow well upon a sandy 



* Reseda hdcola. 



