

CULTIVATION OF PLANTS. 



June, you may plough between the beds, and scatter more earth on the fresh 

 tops, (all but the ends,) and when you get through, you may plant potatoes be- 

 tween the beds if you please. I do not recommend it, if you have plenty of 

 land, although I raised one thousand and seventy bushels of pink eyes on eight 

 acres the first year, and sixty bushels of corn. If your land is perfectly clear 

 of weeds, you are through with your labour on the madder crop for this year, 

 except in latitudes where there is not much snow, and considerable frost; in 

 this case cover in October two inches or thereabout. Second year, same ope- 

 rations in weeding, but no crop between; cover once in June. Third year, 

 weed only. Fourth year, weed in the spring, if a weedy piece of ground. 



Begin to plough out the roots in Tennessee, [three years old] first September. 

 Ohio, [four years] same time. New York 15th or 20th, after cutting off the 

 tops with a sharp hoe. In ploughing out the roots use a heavy span of horses, 

 and a large plough. We ought to choose a soil neither too wet nor too dry, too 

 stiff or light. Shake the dirt from the roots, and rinse or wash, as the soil may 

 be, stiff or light; dry in a common hop kiln; grind them in a mill after Wil- 

 son's Patent Coffee Mill; this mill weighs from one to two pounds. The mad- 

 der mill may be from sixty to eighty pounds weight. Grind coarse, and fan 

 in a fanning mill; then grind again for market. The profit of this crop is im- 

 mense; the exhaustion of soil trifling, and glutting the market out of the ques- 

 tion. 



Madder is used in whole, or part, for the following colours on wool, both in 

 England, France, and America, viz: blue, black, red, buff, olive-brown, olive, 

 navy blue, and many others; finally it produces one of the most beautiful, dura- 

 ble, and healthy colours that is at this time dyed; as for calico printers, it enters 

 greatly into their dyes. 



II. WOAD. 



WOAD is one of those plants which yield the deep blue 

 colouring matter so greatly valued in the arts Indigo. The 

 use of woad in dyeing is as a basis for black and other colours. 

 It was most extensively cultivated in Europe previous to the 

 introduction of the indigo of commerce, which is derived from 

 the green parts of certain species of plants, the production of 

 warmer countries. It is a perfectly hardy plant. A triennial, 

 with a hairy branching stalk rising to the height of three to 

 five feet. May be sown in early spring, in which case a cer- 

 tain produce of leaves may be obtained the same season. 

 CHAPTAL says that it is not killed by frosts in France, and 

 that it affords excellent food for cattle during the winter. 



A good crop may be obtained upon alluvial soils, but strong 

 soils are preferable, provided they are not too much inclined 

 to clay. Wet moist lands will not answer. The plant 

 flourishes best in a rich, deep, mellow soil. It requires per- 

 fect preparation of the ground and careful tillage during the 

 entire period of its growth. The best method of planting is 

 in rows, the intervals being of a sufficient width to admit the 

 cultivator or horse-hoe. But it is generally sown broadcast. 

 When sown broadcast and harrowed in, six to eight pounds of 

 seed are required to the acre. New seed should always be 

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