316 



WOA 



W O A 



two to three inches long, and 

 scarcely half an inch in breadtli. 

 These are sometimes very slightly 

 tooth letted ; and a (cw hairs are 

 sometimes found both on the stem 

 and leaves. Flowers small, ter- 

 minating the stem and branches in 

 a close raceme. Both corolla and 

 calyx yellow ; petals notched at 

 the end. Seed vessels on slender 

 peduncles, hanging down. Chest- 

 nut-coloured or dark brown and 

 shining when ripe, of an oblong 

 elliptic form, near half an inch 

 long and two lines wide, compress 

 ed at top and on the sides into a 

 sharp edge, swelling like a convex 

 lens in the middle, with a straight 

 longitudinal suture on each side, 

 one celled, two valved, but hardly 

 opening spontaneously ; valves of 

 spongy substance like cork, and 

 boat-shaped. 



Seed smooth, striated a little, 

 two lines long, and three quarters 

 of a line wide, yellow, or brownish 

 yellow when ripe ; it has only a 

 single membranaceous coat. Em- 

 bryo curved, yellowish. Cotyle- 

 dons ovate, fleshy, plano-convex. 



Mr. Miller thus describes the 

 cultivated plant, which however 

 differs little from the wild one ex- 

 cept in luxuriance. The lower 

 leaves are of an oblong oval tigure, 

 and pretty thick consistence, when 

 growing in a proper soil ; they are 

 narrow at their base, but brond 

 above, and end in obtuse roundish 

 points; are entire on their edges, 

 and of a lucid green. The stalks 

 rise near four feet high, dividing 

 into several branches, with arrow- 

 shaped leaves sitting close ; the 

 ends of the branches are terminated 



by small yellow flowers, in very 

 close clusters. The pods are shap- 

 ed like a bird's tongue, haU aninch 

 long, and one eighth of an inch 

 wide, turning back when ripe. It 

 flowers in July, and the seeds ripen 

 the beginning of September. 



A tine blue colour is obtained 

 from woad. It is also the basis of 

 black and many other colours. 



As the goodness of woad consists 

 in the size and fulness of the leaves, 

 the only method to obtain this is to 

 sow the seed upon ground at a 

 proper season and allow the plants 

 proper room to grow, as also to 

 keep them clear from weeds. The 

 method practised by some of the 

 most skilful gardeners in the cul- 

 ture of spinach, would be a great 

 improvement to this plant, for some 

 of them have improved the round- 

 leaved spinach so much by culture, 

 as to have the leaves more than 

 six times the size they were for- 

 merly ; and their fatness has been 

 in the same proportion, upon the 

 same land, which has been eflfected 

 by thinning the plants when young, 

 and keeping the ground constantly 

 free from weeds. 



A hazel loam, whose parts will 

 easily separate, is the best soil for 

 woad. The ground should be 

 ploughed and laid in narrow high 

 ridges just before winter ; — it 

 should be ploughed again in the 

 spring ; a third time in June ; and 

 lastly towards the end of July or 

 early in August. In the intervals 

 between each ploughing, it will be 

 necessary to harrow the soil, so 

 that all weeds may be destroyed. 



Woad is sown in England early 

 in August, and generally broadcast. 



