NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



387 





e inserted in the Agricultural Journal. It is 

 lie largest experiment that has been made in 

 his section of the country. It shews that our 

 rinufacturers can raise this valuable article for 

 he dyeing vat, at little expense, and with great 

 •a-e. 

 With great respect, your most humble servant, 

 H. A. S. De.^rborn. 



.■tract of a letter from Richard Crowiiinshield, 

 Esq. of Danvers, to Brigadier Gen. Dearborn, 

 dated March 29, 1823. 



" I planted about 6 acres with 9 bnahels of 

 ivoad seed, in 1822, some of which seed you 

 !»as so obliging as to present to me. The re- 

 mainder was procured from Connecticut, New- 

 Sforfc, and some were of my own raising in 1821, 

 rem seeds received from Dr. Nichols, in 1818. 

 There was no difference in the plants raised 

 "rom these several parcels of seeds. The soil 

 was light, dry and sandy. The land was broken 

 jp in the spring of the same year. The sods 

 were removed, and the land crop ploughed, 

 larrowcd, and furrowed out 2^ feet between 

 he furrows. About 40 cords of good compost 

 oaanure, (consisting of horse dung, cow dung, 

 and pig manure, mixed with about one fourth 

 Dart of its balk of bog turf, which had been in 

 leaps about two years, with some ashes, lime, 

 fee.) were spread on the land and ploughed in 

 IS for Indian corn ; the furrows were slightly 

 jarthed. The quantity of seed two bushels to 

 he acre. They were sown rather thickly in 

 he furrows, in order that in gathering them, 

 here might be a full handful of plants to crop 

 it the same time. The seed was lightly cov- 

 >red. It was all sown before the 20th of May. 

 t grew well, but required five or six men to 

 seep down the weeds in July. It was all pick- 

 ;d or twisted off quite to the ground. It was 

 hen again cleared of weeds, and in 14 days the 

 lew leaves were from 9 to 14 inches long in 

 •ich spots. The second crop was gathered from 

 he 15th to the 20th of August, and produced 

 ibout four tons of green leaves, about one ton 

 ess than the first crop. The dry weather pre- 

 7ented a third crop from being taken. Some 

 '.eaves were however taken in October, 5 inches 

 ong, but 1 preferred to let them generally re- 

 ■nain to protect the plant against the frost, hav- 

 ng the lust winter lost an acre of woad, and an 

 jcre of teazels, by frost. The loss in woad was 

 nuch less than in the teazels ; the plants which 

 1 lost of the latter would have sufficed for four 

 icres, and have produced much money, being 

 worth from 50 to 75 cents for every hundred 

 plants. All the woad plants are now alive, (that 

 is, on the 29th March, 1823,) and have grown 

 half an inch. 1 have also many thousands of 

 teazel plants in good order. 



The expense of cultivating woad is about 

 equal to that of cultivating onions, and ten men 

 will crop an acre in a day. 



" There is something remarkable in the woad 

 plant. Some roots which produced seeds last 

 year, sprouted again from every joint like cab- 

 bage sprouts. They are now again sprouting 

 from under the snow, the leaves are green, and 

 may again be cropped this spring. / shall haze 

 a great quantity nf seed to dispose of at §1,50 per 

 bushel. I paid two dollars. There are but few 

 men in America who understand, perfectly, the 

 preparation of woad for the dyer. Our farmers, 

 should it become the policy of the nation to 



raise and manufacture our own woollen goods, 

 equal to the national consumption, will probably 

 find it for their interest to raise woad, and de- 

 liver it green or dry (as may be most conveni- 

 ent for them) at regularly established mills, ex- 

 clusively devoted, as in England, to this article. 

 Inclosed you have an article from the N. York 

 Statesman on woad." 



The article referred to from New York, is 

 interesting, and is, therefore, here inserted. I 



N. B. General Dearborn has still a few copies 

 of his work at the command of i>ersons disposed 

 to cultivate the woad. 



AMERIC.IN MANUFACTURES. 



Extract of a letter from Cincinnati, Ohio, to the editors 



of the Statesman. 



" Having seen several communications in your 

 valuable paper, respecting the art nf dyeing, and 

 (he cultivation of the u-oad plant, by which it 

 seems that manufacturers in your part of the 

 country are doubtful whether woad can be pro- 

 duced in the United States in the same perfec- 

 tion as in England, 1 have thought proper to 

 state, for their information, that in 1821 I plant- 

 ed two acres, and found the produce to be at 

 least one fourth more in quantity, having cut 

 seven crops during the season. In England, 1 

 never knew more than five. Its strength, as a 

 mordant, exceeded the English at least one 

 third, containing three times the coloring mat- 

 ter I have ever found in any woad, after an 

 experience of forty years, in an extensive trade 

 in England. 



I herewith forward to you some patterns of 

 wool, dyed with this woad, and regret I had not 

 preserved some colored with woad only, by 

 which artists acquainted with the subject would 

 know its superior qualities. I have always ob- 

 served in England, that our woad plant produces 

 more in quantity and better in quality, in a warm 

 season ; and I attribute its great perfection here 

 to the same cause. 



Your manufacturers of woollens cannot fully 

 succeed tmtil they become well acquainted with 

 this useful plant, as no good blue, black, green, 

 or purple color can be produced without it. — 

 .\ll other modes are imperfect, expensive, and 

 mischievous. Having made this country my 

 home, I shall take pleasure in communicating 

 this knowledge, to any one that may need it, 

 for a moderate compensation. fVritten directions 

 may be given for growing and preparing woad, 

 without any chance of error; but to use it prop- 

 erly, requires considerable attention and good 

 instructions. 



1 suppose it may be produced for three or 

 four cents per pound — perhaps for something 

 less. I have sold some of mine at Baltimore, 



this season, for 12^ cents, by which you will 

 perceive there is great profit in its cultivation. 

 In my opinion no substitute for woad will be 

 found worthy of attention, although it seems 

 your friend Ilopson thinks he has discovered 

 one, which will answer the purposes both of 

 woad and indigo. Your correspondent will con- 

 fer a favor on me, by giving a description of 

 the wild indigo plant, as he terras it. I will 

 investigate its properties, and communicate the 

 result to him. 



Your correspondent who has written on the 

 scarlet dye, appears to be acquainted with only 

 a part of the theory of that art, as two essential 

 ingredients are not mentioned, one of which I 



have seen since my arrival in this country. — 

 Your friend is also in an error in supposing he 

 can render color more brilliant by using steam 

 I have made use of steam in dyeing for near!) 

 thirty years, and am well acquainted with its 

 advantages and disadvantages. It is a cheap 

 and expeditious mode ; but it cannot be used 

 for fine colors, such as Saxon blue, green, pink, 

 crimson, scarlet, orange, yellow, and all olhei 

 delicate colors, but at the expense of its beauty. 



All dyers should know, that when bright col- 

 ors are wanted, the first step to be taken is to 

 clear the water of all mineral and animal sub- 

 stances. This is all that is necessary to prepare 

 the liquor for any bright color; but if raw wa- 

 ter be added, or steam suflered to flow into the 

 vessel, the beauty of the color will be destroy- 

 ed, in proportion to the quantity admitted." 



The letter, from which the foregoing is an 

 extract, adds a number of other particulars con 

 nected with the subject of manufactures. It 

 states, among other things, that large quantities 

 of Fuller's Earth are said to be found on the 

 banks of the Wabash; but after diligent search, 

 none, in a pure state, has yet been discovered 

 in the vicinity of Cincinnati. Our correspondent 

 has put to us the following questions, to which 

 we hope some one will furnish satisfactory an- 

 swers, as we are unable to do it ourselves : 



1. What quantity of woad would be consumed 

 annually, in the vicinity of New York and Phi- 

 ladelphia, estimating one pound of woad to five 

 pounds of wool, dyed of a dark blue ? 



2. Would the manufacturers give a reasona- 

 ble compensation to be instructed in the art of 

 dyeing generally ? 



3. Whether it would answer any good pur- 

 pose, for a person who understands the manu- 

 facture of woad and its various applicnlions in 

 the art of dyeing, to establish himself in this 

 part of the country ? 



It is proper to remark, that wc are wholly 

 unacquainted with the writer of this letter; nor 

 have we a sufticient knowledge of some of the 

 topics embraced in his communl-.ation, to judge 

 of the accuracy of his remarks. Ilopson will 

 be able to speak for himself, where tis correct- 

 ness is questioned. 



The beautiful specimens of coloring, accom- 

 panying the letter, may be seen at this oflicc, 

 where the name and address of the gentleman 

 who forwarded them may be obtained. 



To the Editor of the American Farmer. 



Fort Osage, (Missouri.) .Ipril 8, 1 323. 

 " I am, at this moment, experimenting in my 

 nursery. I have grafted apples on sycamore 

 and cotton free slalks, close to the roots. I am 

 told that the most flourishing and surest orch- 

 ards of apples in the west, are growing on syca- 

 more roots. 1 am trying peaches on the wild 

 plum, and shall, by recommendation of one of 

 my neighbors, graft some peaches on stocks of 

 the common black walnut. This neighbor' of 

 mine assures me, that he has seen a very old 

 and flourishing peach tree growing on a walnut 

 — it is easy to try it ; and should it succeed, 

 perhaps we may be able to obtain durable peach 

 trees — at least, we shall escape the annoyance 

 of the worm. I am determined to try all man- 

 ner of ways to procure a good permanent peach 

 orchard. The result of such of my experiments 

 as prove successful, shall be made known to you 

 in due time." 



