MADDER. 207 



sprout. They should be cut or broken into pieces, contain- 

 ing from two to five eyes each; i. e. three to four inches 

 long. The time for planting is as early in spring as the 

 ground can be got in good order, and severe frosts are over, 

 which, in this climate, is usually about the middle of April. 

 With the beds prepared as directed, stretch a line lengthwise 

 Hie bed, and with the corner of a hoe make a drill two in- 

 ches deep along each edge and down the middle, so as to 

 give three rows to each bed, about two feet apart. Into 

 these drills drop the sets, ten inches apart, covering them 

 i wo inches deep. Eight or ten bushels of sets are requisite 

 for an acre. 



AFTER CULTURE. As soon as the madder plants can be 

 seen, the ground should be carefully hoed, so as to destroy the 

 weeds and not injure the plants ; and the hoeing and weed- 

 ing must be repeated as often as weeds make their appear- 

 ance. If any of the sets have failed to grow, the vacancies 

 should be filled by taking up parts of the strongest roots and 

 transplanting them ; this is best done in June. As soon as 

 the madder plants are ten or twelve inches high, the tops are 

 to be bent down on to the surface of the ground, and all ex- 

 cept the tip end, covered with earth shoveled from the middle 

 of the alleys. Bend the shoots outward and inward, in 

 every direction, so as in time to fill all the vacant spac e on 

 the beds, and about one foot on each side. After the first 

 time covering, repeat the weeding when necessary, and run a 

 single horse plow through the alleys several times to keep 

 the earth clean and mellow. As soon as the plants again be- 

 come ten or twelve inches high, bend down and cover them as 

 before, repeating the operation as often as necessary, which 

 is commonly three times the first season. The last time may 

 be as late as September, or later if no frosts occur. By cov- 

 ering the tops in this manner, they change to roots, and the 

 design is to fill the ground as full of roots as possible. When 

 the vacant spaces are all full, there will be but little chance 

 for weeds to grow ; but all that appear must be pulled out. 



THE SECOND YEAR. Keep the beds free from weeds : 

 plow the alleys and cover the tops, as before directed, two or 

 three times during the season. The alleys will now form 

 deep and narrow ditches, and if it becomes difficult to obtain 

 good earth for covering the tops, that operation may be omit- 

 ted after the second time this season. Care should be taken, 

 when covering the tops, to keep the edges of the beds as 



