324 



NEW ENGLAND FARMEL*. 



[Mav 6, 



PASTEL OR WOAD SEED. 

 The following observations are extracled from a " Trea- 

 tise on the Culture, Preparation, History, and Anal- 

 ysis of Pastel or Woad," translated from the French 

 by Gen. H. A. S. Dearborn. We publish it for the 

 information of those who are disposed to naturalize 

 this useful plant, and thus render us independent of 

 foreign cultivators for an article which is indispens- 

 able for the successful progress of some of our most 

 useful American m.\nufactures. 



On the proper soil for Pastel ; its preparation, 

 and the inanure suitable for it. 



Pastel grows naturally in dry, stony land, on 

 mountains, and in moist bottoms or intervals.. — 

 It can be cultivated on diflprenl kinds of soil ; 

 but its quality, and the produce, depends on the 

 nature of the soil on which it grows. If it is 

 raised on a dry, light, and barren soil, but a 

 small crop will be obtained; possessing but a 

 little coloring flocculi; if upon a fat, mnist clay- 

 ey soil, the leaves, allhough very al)iindant, con- 

 tain a greater proportion of sap, than of the 

 coloring flocculi. 



Too much moisture injures the plant, particu- 

 larly when this moisture becomes hahitiial, in 

 consequence of an inferior stratum, which natu- 

 rally obstructs the regular escape of the water. 

 The choice of the soil is, therefore, very im- 

 portant, for if judiciously chosen, the crops will 

 be double and of a superior quality. 



A soil of a mean consistence is to be prefer- 

 red, rather clayey ihan sandy ; fat, rich, warm 

 and not very moist. If it is loo light, it can be 



proportion.ll quantity of coloring matter, and, of 

 course, a less [)roductive crop ; therefore, only 

 poor land should be highly manured. 



It is by this judicious combination that the 

 cultivator raises the greatest quantity of leaves 

 and the most coloring flocculi. 



Perfectly rotten manure is preferable to that 

 in which the straw is not cntirelv ilecayod. The 

 last does not proiluce all its efl'ect during tlie 

 growth of the pastel, an<l when the leaves are 

 leathered, the straw mixes with them, and can- 

 not be separated even by »vashing, which in- 

 jures the quality of the pastel, and diminishes 

 its value. In Germany the manure is spread on 

 the land in the fall, but it is as well to i)ut it on 

 in the spring, if it is perfectly decomposed. 



The Seed, the time and manner of so-jsing it. 



It is said that pastel seed will not keep good 

 more than two years. We have sown seed 

 which was four years old and it did not come 

 up. If the seed is old, it is best to soak it in 

 water one night. The quantity which ought 

 to be soun depends on the nature of the soil. 

 Rich land should be sown thinner than that 

 which is light and sterile. 



lithe I'lants in the first are at too great a 

 distance, tln'V vegetate too vigorously, and will 

 be inferior iii quality, — white on a light soil, 

 ihey should be at a greater distance from each 

 oilier, that lliey may receive more nutriment 

 which is necessary to make them groiv to llicir 

 full size. 



This precept is an exception to the general 

 improved with compost or a mixture of earths, principles of agriculture. 

 Alluvian land is very congeni.il to pastel, when j If the plants are loo thick, they should be 

 it is not too moist, particularly when it is taken ^ thinned at ihe time they are hoed. The qiian- 

 from .'. saline bank of the ocean. In Lmgucdoc, lity of ."ced which should be sown also d.-^pends 

 earth from the drains am! about the housss is! upon its quality. When it is not too old, is 

 preferred, as the most nutritive and sulislanlial plumj), heavy and ot a dark lilue cokr, it will 

 inanure. Natural meadovss, where wheat has j cedainlv come up well. It is not necessary to 

 grown too vigorously, are excellent for pastel, use so much seed when it is sown in rows. The 

 if they are well ploughed and harrowed. Ac- ' seed should be sown as early in the sjiring as 

 cording to the /idage of tbeJarniiTS of Thuringe, ijie season will permit. This perioil, for Ihe 

 laeizenland, auch waidland. -Vcarfotw /uHti, is i.'ie , southern departments of France, is during the 

 land for pastd. i month of February, commencing about the fif- 



The number of laborers requisite to cultivate ' teenth ; and lor the northern departments the 

 the land, depends on the nature of the soil, its month of March. As pastel suflers but little 

 present situation, and the crops which it has I'rom the frosts of spring, it can be sown as soon 

 produced the preceding years The cuUivator as the heat begins to |)ioduce Ihe least vegela- 

 should be careful to keep the land clear from lion. If it issowii late, the leaves are less and 

 weeds ; this can be easily done by grubbing, as i Ihe product not so great. Another reason in fa- 

 this method, which lends to destroy the insects, Ivor of early sowing is, that the insects which 

 is very benelicial to jiastel. 1 he lumps of earlh attack pastel, rarely appear early in the spring, 

 should be well pulverised, to effect which the Smnetinies this o[ieration is delayed for a 

 laud should be well harrowed, from three to mmili Irom showers and bad weather; in con- 

 four times, according to the nature of the soil. Uequuce of which, the seed is frequently not 

 This labor should be repealed nflen, when (he ' sown in I.anguedoc until Ihe forepart ol March. 



There is a custom in some parts ol Germany, ol 

 sowing the seed when the earlh is covered wiih 

 snow, and then harrowing it in, a (ew days al- 

 ter it has mellcil. The seed sometimes remains 

 a fortnight on the snow, and from the blue col- 

 or which stains the snow, the ])lanter can dis- 

 cover whether it has been sown equally or not. 

 J^ome farmers recommend sowing in the fore- 

 part of October, soon afler Ihe seed is gathered. 

 They assign as a reason, that Ihe seed comes 

 up belter, thai Ihe plants, so far Irom being in- 

 jured by the frosts of winter, strike roots wbich, 

 in the spring, accelerate vegetation ; besides, 

 the young sjjrouts are at this season, less subject 

 to be injured by insects. 



meadow on which it is intended to sow pastel, 

 has not been broken up for a number of years 

 before. If the land is moist or subject to retain 

 the winter rains, it shou.d be thrown u(i into 

 ridijes, or trenched to facilitate Ihe escape of 

 the wab^r. On small pieces oi ground, the land 

 is thrown up with a spade into beds, between 

 three and lour feel wide, and then well raked. 

 Some farmers tirst spa<le the land and then 

 plough it. 



As pastel requires a strong soil, it is necessa- 

 ry to increase its fertility by manure, according 

 10 its quality. A good soil should be moderately 

 manured; for Ihe leaves of pastel, which grow 

 r.ipidly, arc loo succulent and do not contain a 



We have sown pastel during the three or 



four first days of August, which withstood Ihe 

 rigors of winter, and vegetated earlier in the 

 spring. From experience and the situalKiu of 

 the soil, we must decide which period is the 

 best. 



After having sown during the first pleasant 

 days at the commencement of Ihe season, it fre- 

 quently ha; pen- that the weather becomes cold 

 .and mil'ivor.ible, which prevents germination or 

 the insecis deslrov the young shools, which 

 makes il necessary to re-plant ; therefore, a suf- 

 ficient (luantily of seed should be reserved for 

 that purpose. 



Some small planters in Langnedoc, are in the 

 habit of sowing in the same field with pastei, 

 beans, cabbages or other vegetables. It ■= uirue- 

 cessnry to observe that Ibis practice is injurious 

 to ihe quality and quantity of Ihe pastel, as it 

 prevents that particular atlention to its culture 

 wh.ch is necessary during its growth, besides 

 the leaves and rubbish ol those various plants, 

 become mixed with the pasiel and injure its 

 qu.ility. 



The most general and expedient method of 

 sowing, is the broad cast, and the seed shouhl 

 be scattered as equally as possible ; therefore, 

 but a small quantity should be thrown at ;i lime. 

 It then should be covered with a light harrow, 

 ulier which Ihe groimd should be rolled to make 

 the surface as smooth as possible. 



In s.mall fields, which are laid out in beds, the 

 seeds are sown in drills and raked in, which 

 gives a more free an.l equal circulation lo Ihe 

 air, as the distances between the plants are 

 more unilbim. The rows should be twelve 

 i.icbes apiirt, and more when a plough is used 

 to till the crop. In England a machine is used 

 to dislnbuln llie seed more equally. This ma- 

 chine Is similar (o Ihat used lo sow turnips, 

 (^s;i.ys Dickson, in his Practical Agriculture ;) the 

 ruws are nine Indies apart, and covered with a 

 rake attached lo the machine, or wilh a light 

 rake in the usual wa3'. 



The plant comes up in ten or fifteen days ; 

 if it is perceived that the seed has not sprouted, 

 or ihe Sjirouts are deslroyeil by the insects, or 

 by Ihe intemperature of the season, the land 

 sliould be immediately all sown over again, or 

 the vacant places, when only detached parts of 

 tha ground is without planis ; but if the princi- 

 jial part of ihn plauls have perished, Ihe whole 

 groundshould be re-sown. In Ihe first instance, 

 holes can bo maile with the hoe, and ihrce or 

 four see il thrown in, and immeilialely co\ered 

 over. Sometimes it becomes necess.iry to re- 

 |)hnt two or three times. 



.\ calm time should be chosen to sow, for Ihe 

 seed being light, are easily scattered by Ihe 

 wind, and thus are unequally dispersed over the 

 itrouud. 



The Amcsliury Flannel .Vlanufactiirlngf Company 

 of .Massachusills are producing flauMtls which are 

 said to be equal in all respi cts, if not superior to any 

 made in ICnrope. 'Ihc-y aic finished in a superior styU', 

 and the colours, which art crimson, scarlil, grtiii and 

 yellow, are narrantid lo be lasting. 'I'his maiiulac- 

 tory is the largest of the kind in tlie United Stairs, and 

 the storlj is principally owm.-d by a few capitalists of 

 Boston, who wore the original proprietors, and whose 

 object, it is said, has been from the commi ncemcnl not 

 so much immediate gain, as the I'ormalioii of a r( spect- 

 alde establishment, that will be creditable in a nation- 

 al pnint of viiw, and secun- to themselves a permaueut 

 and safe iuveslmeat of their capital. 



