MADDER. 357 



and the colouring matter is immediately precipitated, 

 from which the supernatant liquor being drawn off, 

 the colour is readily dried for use. 



The colouring matter of this plant has a very 

 remarkable affinity to the bones of animals, those 

 eating of the root having their bones dyed of a red 

 colour. This fact was long known to the practical 

 dyer ; but, as it did not fall in with any of his pursuits, 

 it excited no interest and was disregarded by him, or 

 taken as a matter of course. In the present day, 

 perhaps, this class of persons are somewhat more 

 enlightened, and their minds are not wholly chained 

 down to the immediate objects of their particular 

 avocation. 



The average annual importation of prepared mad- 

 der in England for the last five years is 67,525 cwts. 

 Of madder roots 46,272 cwts. The former pays a 

 duty of 2s. per cwt. ; the latter only 6d. for the same 

 quantity. The average price of the best madder for 

 the five preceding years was 83s. per cwt., and of the 

 best roots 48s. per cwt. It is imported from Holland, 

 France, and Turkey. 



An inferior kind of madder, known in commerce 

 under the name ofmunjeet, is at present imported from 

 the East Indies into this country. The average annual 

 import for the five preceding years is 28,826 bales, 

 each bale weighing 20 Ibs. ; the average price during 

 that time being 34s. per cwt. for the best. 



A plant called raye de chaye, chaya root, or colour 

 root, gathered on the coast of Coromandel, is used as 

 well as madder in India for dyeing red, orange, and 

 purple ; it is so similar to the latter plant that it is 

 often confounded with it. The raye de chaye is by 

 some botanists called oldenlandia umbellata. It has 

 a weak jointed stem, with the leaves growing round 

 the knots, from which opposite branches issue. It is 

 not of so large a growth as mao'der. A few small 



