92 



Successful Cultivation of Maddei 



Vol. IX. 



have failed to grow, the vacancies should be 

 filled by taking np parts of the stronnest 

 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 dov.n on to the surface 

 of the ground, and all, excepting 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 space on the 

 beds, and about one foot on each side. After 

 the first time covering, repeat the vveedino- 

 when necessary, and run a single-horse 

 plough through the alleys several times to 

 keep the earth clean and mellow. As soon 

 as the plants again become 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 oc- 

 cur. By covering the tops in this manner, 

 they change to roots, and the design is to 

 fiU 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; plough 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 

 omitted after the second time this season. 

 Care should be taken when covering the 

 tops to keep the edges of the beds as^'liigh 

 as the middle, otherwise the water from 

 heavy showers will run off, and the crop 

 suffer from drought. 



The third year. — Very little labour or 

 attention is required. The plants will now 

 cover the whole ground. If any weeds are 

 seen they must be all pulled out, otherwise 

 their roots will cause trouble when harvest- 

 ing the madder. The crop is sometimes dug 

 the third year; and if the soil and cultiva"- 

 tion have been good, and the seasons warm 

 and favourable, the madder will be of good 

 quality; but generally, it is much better in 

 quality and more in quantity, when left 

 until the fourth year. 



Digging and hnrveslinsr.— This should 

 be done between the 20th of August and 

 the 20th of September. Take a sfrirp sho- 

 vel or shovels, and cut off and remove the 

 tops within half an inch of the surface of 

 the earth; then take a plough of tlie largest 

 size, with a sharp coulter and a double telim, 

 and plough a furrow outward, beam deep, 

 around the edge of the bed ; stir the earth 



with forks, and carefully pick out all the 

 roots, removing the eartii from the bottom 

 of the furrow; then plough another furrow 

 beam deep, as before, and pick over and re- 

 move the earth in the same manner; thus 

 proceeding till the whole is completed. 



^^ ashing and drying. — As soon as possi- 

 ble after digging, take the roots to some 

 running stream to be washed. If there id 

 no running stream convenient, it can be 

 done at a pump. Take large, roiuid sieves, 

 two and a half or three feet in diameter — 

 found in eastern cities — with the wire about 

 as fine as wheat sieves ; or if these cannot 

 be had, get from a hardware-store sufficient 

 screen-wire of the right fineness, and make 

 frames or boxes about two and a half feet 

 long and the width of the wire, on the bot- 

 tom of which nail tlie wire. In tliese sieves 

 or boxes, put about half a bushel of roots at 

 a time and stir them about in the water, 

 pulling the bunches apart so as to wash them 

 clean; then, having a platform, at hand, lay 

 them on it to dry. To make the platform, 

 take two or three common boards so as to 

 be about four feet in width, and nail elects 

 across the under side. On those spread the 

 roots about two inches thick for drying in 

 the sun. Carry the platforms to a conve- 

 nient place, not far from the house, and 

 place them side by side, in rows east and 

 west, and witli their ends north and south, 

 leaving room to walk between the rows. 

 Elevate the south ends of the platforms 

 about eighteen inches, and the north ends 

 about six inches from the ground, putting 

 poles or sticks to support them, and it will 

 greatly facilitate drying. After the second 

 or third day drying, the madder must be 

 protected from the dews at night and from 

 rain, by placing the platforms one upon an- 

 other to a convenient height, and covering 

 the uppermost one with boards. Spread 

 them out again in tlic morning, or as soon 

 as danger is over. Five or six days of or- 

 dinarily fine weather will dry the madder 

 sufficiently, when it may be put away till it 

 is convenient to kiln dry and grind it. 



Kiln drying. — The size and mode of con- 

 structing the kiln may be varied to suit cir- 

 cumstances. The following is a very cheap 

 plan, and sufficient to dry one ton of roots 

 at a time. Place four strong posts in the 

 ground twelve feet apart one way, and 

 eighteen the other; the front two fourteen 

 feet Iiigh, and the others eighteen; put girts 

 across the bottom, middle and top; and nail 

 boards perpendicularly on the o'utside, as for 

 a common barn. The boards must be well 

 seasoned, and all cracks or holes should be 

 plastered or otherwise stopped up. Make a 

 shed roof of common boards. In the inside 



