SAFFLOWER. 369 



pagated by seeds, which are sown early in the spring, 

 in drills, at about the distance of two feet and a half 

 asunder. 



In about a month the young plants are expected 

 to appear, and they are allowed to remain undis- 

 turbed for another month. They are then hoed and 

 thinned, each plant being left about half a foot from the 

 other. A second and third hoeing are given before 

 blossoming. In rich land the flowers seldom appear 

 till late in autumn, while in a poor dry ground the 

 plants bloom at an earlier period, but the flowers of 

 these are smaller and yield a less portion of colouring 

 matter. A moderately dry and well manured soil is 

 considered to be on the whole best adapted to the 

 culture of this plant, especially if the seed be sown 

 early in February. 



The moment the flowerets which form the compound 

 flowers begin to open, they are gathered in succes- 

 sion without waiting for the whole to expand, since 

 when allowed to remain till fully blown the beauty 

 of the colour is very much faded. As the flowers 

 are collected they are dried in the shade. This 

 work must be carefully performed, for if gathered in 

 wet weather, or badly dried, the colour will be much 

 deteriorated. These flowers contain two kinds of 

 colouring matter, the one yellow, which is soluble 

 in water ; the other red, which being of a resinous 

 nature, is insoluble in water, but soluble in alkaline 

 carbonates. The first is never converted to any use, 

 as it dyes only dull shades of colour : the other is a 

 beautiful rose-red, capable of dyeing every shade, 

 from the palest rose to a cherry-red. It is therefore 

 requisite, before these flowers can be made available, 

 to separate the valueless from the valuable colour ; 

 and since the former only is soluble in water, this 

 operation is matter of little difficulty. 



The flowers are tied in a sack and laid in a 



