WOAD. 



507 



stem is from three to four feet high, and ahout 

 half an inch in diameter, dividing into several 

 branches, which are loaded with many leaves of 

 a lucid green colour, and sitting close to the 

 stalk. They are thick, and of a long oval form, 

 terminating in obtuse points, generally about a 

 foot long, and half a foot broad in their widest 

 part. The branches are surmounted by small 

 yellow flowers, disposed in panicles ; these appear 

 in July, and are succeeded by seeds, which come 

 to maturity in September. The soil in which 

 this plant succeeds best is a gentle hazel loam, 

 whose parts will easily separate ; that is, a medium 

 between a light, sandy, and a stiff, moist soil. 

 Three or four crops are usually obtained in one 

 year. The first when the stems begin to turn 

 yellow and the flowers are about to appear ; the 

 others at successive intervals of six weeks, or 

 more, according to the temperature of the 

 climate. The two first gatherings render the 

 best woad. The plants are mowed down with 

 a scythe, and as soon as collected are washed in 

 a stream of water, and dried in the sun. The 

 desiccation must be rapidly performed; if the 

 season be unfavourable, and the woad be exposed 

 to rain, it will run the hazard of being spoiled. 

 A single night is sometimes sufficient to turn it 

 black. Immediately on being dried from the 

 effects of the washing, it is conveyed to a mill, 

 resembling the oil and tan mills, and is ground 

 into a smooth paste. If this process were defer- 

 red for any time it would speedily putrefy, and 

 emit an intolerable and unwholesome odour. 

 This paste is laid in heaps, which are pressed 

 close and smooth, and then covered to protect 

 them from rain. A blackish crust is soon formed 

 on the outside, which, if it happen to crack, is 

 carefully reunited. Should this be neglected, 

 little worms would be produced in the cracks, 

 and the woad lose part of its strength. After 

 remaining thus covered a, fortnight, the heaps 

 are opened, and the crust rubbed and mixed 

 with the inside. This matter is then formed 

 into solid baUs, which are pressed into a com- 

 pact substance in wooden moulds. These balls 

 are dried upon hurdles ; if exposed to the sun 

 they turn black on the outside, but in a sheltered 

 place they become of a yellowish hue. Dealers 

 in this commodity usually prefer the first, 

 though it is said that there is really no material 

 difFerence between the two descriptions. Good 

 balls are distinguished by their superior weight, 

 and by exhibiting, on being rubbed, a violet 

 colour within. 



These balls require a farther preparation 

 before they can be converted to the purpose of 

 dyeing. They are first beaten with wooden 

 mallets on a brick or stone floor, until they are 

 reduced to a coarse powder. This is heaped up 

 into the middle of the apartment to the height 

 of about four feet, space being left to allow a 



sufficient passage round the sides ; it is then 

 moistened with water, which speedily induces 

 fermentation, and thick fetid fumes are emitted. 

 The heap is daily moistened and stirred about 

 with shovels, for the space of tvvelve days, after 

 which period it is moved less frequently, and 

 without being watered. At length it is made 

 into a heap for the dyer. Dr Bancroft observes, 

 that the proper mode of conducting the fermen- 

 tation, and the exact time at which it ought to be 

 stopped, still remain so uncei-tain,that those who 

 make it their business to prepare woad have no 

 decided facts or indications to govern their man- 

 agement in this respect ; and the goodness of any 

 particular quantity can never be ascertained 

 otherwise than by actual use. The powder thus 

 prepared gives only brownish tinctures of differ- 

 ent shades, to aqueous, spirituous, or alkaline 

 menstrua ; rubbed on paper it communicates a 

 green stain. If the powder be diluted with 

 boiling water and allowed to stand for some 

 hours in a close vessel, then with the addition 

 of about one-twentieth of its weight of newly 

 slacked lime, on exposure to a gentle heat, with 

 frequent stirrings of the fluid,afreshfermentation 

 takes place, a blue froth rises to the surface, and 

 the liquor, though it appear itself of a reddish 

 colour, dyes woollen of a green colour, which, 

 like that from indigo, changes to a blue, as soon 

 as exposed to the atmosphere. Its nature is 

 very similar to that of indigo in every respect, 

 and experiments have been made which prove 

 the identity of their colouring matter. If the 

 woad plant be prepared like the indigo/era, 

 indigo will be afforded, though in a much less pro- 

 portion than that obtained from the exotic plant. 



To raise the plants with good large leaves a 

 rich soil is requisite, and a culture nearly' similar 

 to that used in raising turnips. The seeds are 

 sown in July, and the plants when they come 

 up are weeded and thinned. Next July, or 

 earlier, the first crop of leaves may be gathered, 

 and two or three others will be obtained during 

 the season. If left beyond two years they wiU 

 run to seed, and yield but small leaves. 



The average produce from an acre of land is 

 about one ton of woad; in very favourable 

 seasons sometimes one and a half ton are 

 obtained. It requires change of soil ; the best 

 land is injured by being sown more than twice 

 successively with woad. It is imported into 

 England at rather a heavy impost duty of 3^. per 

 cwt., its price being from 18s. to 20s. the cwt. 



Woad affords a substantive blue colour, 

 extremely durable and substantial, which may 

 not only be reduced to many different shades, 

 according to the quantity employed, but is like- 

 wise of great use in dyeing and fixing manj' 

 other colours. 



For many centuries it has been an ingredient 

 of great importance with the English dyers. So 



