232 FARMER'S ASSISTANT. 



MILKWEED (Asclejiias Syriaca.) Under GREENS, we 

 have mentioned the young stalks of this plant, as an article 

 of food. The plant is also called silkweed, on account of 

 the pod it produces, which contains a vegetable silk. This, 

 adhering to the seeds, is calculated to watt them by the 

 winds in every direction. 



This plant has been considered as a troublesome weed, 

 in much of the northern parts of this State ; but perhaps 

 the use which may be made of the pods, of the leaves, and 

 of the milk of the plant, may be found much more than 

 sufficient to counterbalance any inconvenience to be suffer- 

 ed from it. 



We will first point out the use made of the pods, in 

 Franqe, as communicated by Mr. Genet: 



' The silky substance collected from that plant (says he) 

 is used in France, with great advantage, and is cultivated 

 under the name ot houatte or wading They card it, spin 

 it, and manufacture it into velvets, cloth, and hose, with or 

 without the intermixture of cotton or silk. 



* It is also used for wading to stuff quilts and counter- 

 panes; and for that purpose it is far preferable to cotton, 

 being warmer and lighter. To card it by itself, they ex- 

 pose it in bags to the steam of water ; but, mixed with silk 

 or cotton, it does not require the interveniion of the steam, 

 to be made into rolls and spun. The velvets and other ttx- 

 tures made of that vegetable silk, which I have seen in Eu- 

 rope, resembled, if not exceled, the brilliancy ot the silk; 

 and, with proper mordants, had received the most elegant 

 coloring.' 



Mr. Genet subsequently adds : * I have been informed 

 that a French Gentleman, who attends the Dyers' de- 

 partment of the manufactory of Mr. Lynch, at Rome, 

 has discovered that the leaves of the asclepias, and pro- 

 bably of all the apocinums, were an excelcnt substitute for 

 the woad.' 



See WOAD. 



* Dr. .Low, of Albany, has also observed, that the milky 

 juices of the asclepias were equal, if not superior, in many 

 respects, to the opium extracted from the white poppy.' 



Thus it appears that this plant affords food, clothing, 

 medicine, and matter for coloring. Probably its culti- 

 vation may yet be found a matter of considerable im- 

 portance. 



We have also seen the pods gathered, as a substitute 

 for feathers, in making beds. We believe they might 

 be most advantageously mixed with feathers, for that 

 purpose. 



