WELD. 



WELD. 



1832, on this subject, it does not appear that 

 the bushel in any two states contains the same 

 number of cubic inches, and some of them 

 differ materially from each other ; the weights 

 also are variant, and the measures do not al- 

 ways correspond with each other. In Penn- 

 sylvania the Winchester bushel, 18*5 inches in 

 diameter and 8 inches deep, and containing 

 2150-42 cubic inches, is understood to be the 

 standard dry measure; one-eighth of this, or 

 268-8 inches, is a gallon, and 67-2 cubic inches 

 the quart, dry measure. The ale gallon is 282 

 cubic inches, and the quart 70-5 inches ; and 

 this is understood to be the quart by which dry 

 articles are measured. The wine gallon, which 

 is also the measure of all spirituous liquors, 

 contains 231 cubic inches, and the quart 57'75 

 inches. The reason for these differences is not 

 sufficiently apparent to be recognised by any 

 person of ordinary understanding, but they are 

 calculated to produce much embarrassment, 

 and not a little fraud, for there are always per- 

 sons who are disposed to sell by the smaller 

 rather than the larger measure. In England, 

 whence we obtained all our standards of 

 weights and measures, a better system has of 

 late years been adopted, by which the pint, 

 quart, and gallon, for wine, ale, beer, and grain 

 or corn, measure the same with regard to mag- 

 nitude ; 8 of these gallons make one bushel ; 

 and one gallon contains 277-274 cubical inches, 

 or 10 pounds of distilled water at a tempera- 

 ture of 62 degrees ; and the imperial bushel 

 2218-192 cubic inches, or 80 pounds of water 

 at 62 degrees. 



From the above it appears that the English 

 bushel at present in use contains 67-772 cubic 

 inches more than the standard bushel of Penn- 

 sylvania. 



WELD (Reseda luteola'). The dyer's weed, 

 yellow rocket, or yellow weed, is in England 

 an indigenous annual plant, growing in waste 

 ground, especially on a chalky soil, as well as 

 in fallow fields, and on walls. The root is 

 tapering. The stem wand-like, striated, leafy, 

 somewhat branched, smooth, like the rest of 

 the herb; 2 or 3 feet high. The leaves are 

 sessile, of a darkish green, linear-lanceolate, 

 obtuse, entire, single-ribbed. The flowers are 

 in terminal clusters, erect, many-flowered, 

 dense, pointed. The flowers themselves, which 

 blow in July, are small, greenish-white, with- 

 out much scent. Weld is cultivated for the 

 sake of its stalks, flowers, and leaves, which 

 are employed for dyeing wool and other sub- 

 stances yellow, or, mixed with indigo, green. 

 The whole plant is fetid when bruised. When 

 it has attained maturity, which is about the 

 time of flowering, it is pulled, and made into 

 bundles and dried, in which state it is used as 

 a dye-stuff. Weld is preferred to all other sub- 

 stances for giving the lively green lemon-yel- 

 low: but, to render the yellow permanent, the 

 wool must be previously prepared with a mor- 

 dant of alum and tartar. Being an exhaust- 

 ing crop, and liable to failure from many 

 causes, the cultivation of the dyer's rocket is 

 only partially carried on in Essex and a few 

 other places in England. 



Weld will grow on any soil, but fertile loams 

 produce the best crops. Loudon gives the fol- j 



lowing directions for sowing and managing 

 weld. 



The soil being brought to a fine tilth, the seed 

 is sown in April or the beginning of May, ge- 

 nerally broadcast. The quantity of seed is from, 

 two quarts to a gallon per acre, and it should 

 either be fresh, or, if two or three years old, 

 steeped a few days in water previously to being 

 sown. Being a biennial, and no advantage ob- 

 tained from it the first year, it is sometimes 

 sown with corn crops in the manner of clover, 

 which, when the soil is in a very rich state, 

 may answer, provided also, that hoeing, weed- 

 ing, and stirring take place as soon as the corn 

 crop is cut. The best crops, however, will 

 obviously be the result of drilling and culti- 

 vating the crop alone. The drills may be a 

 foot asunder, and the plants thinned to 6 inches 

 in the row. In the broadcast mode it is usual 

 to thin them to 6 or 8 inches distance every 

 way; often, when weld succeeds corn crops, it 

 is never either thinned, weeded, or hoed, but 

 left to itself till the plants are in full blossom. 



The crop is taken by pulling up the entire 

 plant, and the proper period for this purpose 

 is when the bloom has been produced the whole 

 length of the stems, and the plants are just be- 

 ginning to turn of a light or yellowish colour ; 

 as in the beginning or middle of July in the 

 second year. The plants are usually from 1 to 

 2 feet in height. It is thought by some ad- 

 vantageous to pull it rather early, without wait- 

 ing for the ripening of the seeds, as by this 

 means there will not only be the greatest pro- 

 portion of dye, but the land will be left at 

 liberty for the reception of a crop of wheat or 

 turnips ; but in this case a small part must be 

 left solely for the purpose of seed. In the exe- 

 cution of the work, the plants are drawn up by 

 the roots in small handfuls, and set up to dry 

 after each handful has been tied up by one of 

 the stalks, in the number of 4 together in an 

 erect position against each other. Sometimes 

 they, however, become sufficiently dry by turn- 

 ing without being set up. After they have re- 

 mained till fully dry, which is mostly effected 

 in the course of a week or two, they are bound up 

 into larger bundles, that contain each 60 hand- 

 fuls, and which are of the weight of 56 Ibs. each : 

 60 of these bundles constituting a load. These 

 last, in places where this kind of crop is much 

 grown, are tied up by a string made for the 

 purpose, and sold under the title of weld cord. 



The produce of weld depends much on the na- 

 ture of the season ; but from half a load to a 

 load and a half is the quantity most commonly 

 afforded, which- is usually sold to the dyers at 

 from 5/. or 61. to 10/. or 12/. the load, and 

 sometimes considerably more. It is mostly 

 bought by persons who afterwards dispose of 

 it to the dyers occasionally as they find it con- 

 venient. The demand for it is sometimes very 

 little, while at others it is so great as to raise 

 the price to a high degree. It is sometimes 

 gathered green, and treated like woad or in- 

 digo ; but in general the dried herb is used by 

 the dyers in a state of decoction. 



The use of weld in dyeing is for giving a yel- 

 low colour to cotton, woollen, mohair, silk, and 

 linen. Blue cloths are dipped in a decoction, 

 of it, which renders them green ; and the yel- 



1115 



