No. 133.] 379 



is expected, cover the plants with earth about two inches, in Oc- 

 tober. When the roots are sufficiently dry, grind them in a mill, 

 like Wilson's patent coffee mill, wiiich weighs dllily one or two 

 pounds. Your madder mill should weigh about sixty to eighty 

 pounds. Grind it coarse and fair, and then grind it again for 

 market. 



Madder is used, in whole or in part, for the following colors 

 on wool, both in England, France, and America — that is, buff, 

 blue, black, red, olive brown, olive, navy blue, and many others. 

 It produces one of the most beautiful, durable, and healthy col- 

 ors that are at this day employed. 



The madder stems, when eaten by cattle, turn the milk redish, 

 the urine, the sweat, and even the bones. ' 



England imports about eighteen millions of pounds weight of 

 madder annually ; duty sixpence a hundred weight upon the 

 roots, and two shilling (half a dollar) upon that which is ground. 



A wild madder grows in this country, called, botanically, 

 "Galium Tinctorium." Dyer's goose grass, a perennial, grows 

 in our low moist woodlands ; it flowers in July and August, and 

 grows about one foot or eighteen inches liigh. The flowers are 

 white. Our Indians use it to dye their porcupine quills, leather, 

 feathers, and other ornaments, of a beautiful rich red color. 



Mr. Swift, of Erie county, Ohio, has been, if not still, a suc- 

 cessful cultivator of madder. 



Madder contains several coloring principles, the chief being 

 "alizarine," an insoluble, crystaline, bright red body. 



The above extracts from the niost recent publications are re- 

 spectifully submitted. As the volumes containing them have but 

 limited circulation, it is the wish of members to give them what 

 Smithson w'isely wanted — diffusion among men. And w^e earn- 

 estly invite from all cultivators of madder in our country accu- 

 rate accounts of their methods and the results, which we shall be 

 happy to d if use as widely as we can. 



