314 CHTMISTRY APPLIED TO AGRICULTUKET, 



produces the same effect as the indigo cakes, may be sold'^ 

 and thus the manufacturer may save himself the perform- 

 ance of the three principal operations, filtration, drying, 

 and sweating ; and the dyer will be spared the trouble of 

 breaking the cakes. I am even assured, that by making 

 ttse of the fecula^ instead of the indigo, which has gone 

 through all the processes, the dyer can diminish the quan- 

 tity of woad cakes which he uses in the composition of 

 his coloring liquor. 



It seems very evident to me that the introduction of this 

 raluable branch of industry into our country, needs only 

 some slight encouragement on the part of government ; 

 the only one I would ask is, the augmentation of the pres- 

 ent duty upon imported indigo of ten francs per kilo- 

 gramme, (about 80 cts. per lb.) Without this, the agri- 

 culturist can hardly determine to undertake a manufac- 

 ture, which, though promising advantage, is new to him^ 

 and, if badly conducted, presents, like all others, danger 

 of loss. 



I shall conclude this chapter by inviting all agricul- 

 turists who are zealous for the progress of their art, to 

 undertake the cultivation of the isatts tinctoria upon a 

 very small portion of their ground, and in a soil suited 

 to it, for the purpose of making indigo ; they may in 

 this way familiarize themselves with the processes of the 

 manufacture so as to be able to enter into it upon a large 

 scale with confidence. 



The isatis grows and prospers in all climates ; that which 

 is raised in the northern departments of our country has 

 been known to yield five ounces per cwt. which corresponds 

 to the quantity afforded by it in the south. 



It would be wrong to be discouraged in any undertaking 

 by the failure of a first attempt ; neither in cultivation 

 nor in manufacturing can one hope to arrive at perfection 

 at once ; time, experience, and especially close observa- 

 tion, can alone enable us to overcome all obstacles, and 

 so to manage our concerns as to be always sure of suc- 

 cess. The experiments which I recommend are not costly, 

 neither do they require any other utensils than are to be 

 found in every farm house. 



