390 ' [Assembly 



them although so very large, savoury, melting, marrowy, the 

 pellicle so thin and delicate that it is impalpable under the teeth^ 

 and it is very sugary. Its great merit besides its fertility, is that 

 it preserves its juicy and tender character, differing from all others 

 in these respects, for others as they ripen become harder, floury^ 

 loose their juices and have a tbicli skin, Mr. Crout sows them 

 about the last of February and gathers the green crop in June. 

 By sowing every ten or fifteen days, he has them green till frost. 

 We deem it an excellent addition to our stock. It will become 

 a great crop we think, proper to give it the name of Mr. Crout, 

 and therefore name it the gros sucre de Crout, thz great Crout 

 sugar pea. 



Amekican Institute, I 



Farmers' Cluhy Feb. 4ih, 1851. \ 



Hon. James Tallmadge in tlie chair. 



Henry Meigs, Secretary. 



R. L. Pell of Pellham, made the following remarks on the sub- 

 ject of madder : 



MADDER {ruhia tinctorum.) 



Madder is cultivated principally for dyers. It is a plant of 

 very little beauty, and is more like a weed than anything else f 

 it is a rude, irregular growing plant, the stalks are numerous, 

 square and usually of a reddish color; they are weak, so that in 

 their lower part they touch the ground, and in the upper com- 

 monly entangle one with another ; the leaves are long and nar- 

 row, they stand, six radiating from a joint like the rays of a star. 

 The flowers grow at the tops of the stalks, and are of a pale yel- 

 low ; the seeds are contained in round heads. 



The root which is the useful part is extremely long, and of a 

 beautiful red color; dusky on the surface, but very light within. 

 The soil for madder should be deep and light : or a loamy soil 

 that is rich, and has but a small per centage of clay in its com- 

 position is proper, provided it is deep and thoroughly pulverized 

 by sub soil plowing and harrowing. Sets of madder are then to 

 be taken in the spring from the sides and heads of the old roots, 



