508 



HISTORY OP THE VEGETABLE KINGDOM. 



early as the year 1198 we find it in very exten- 

 sive use, and it continued an article of increas- 

 ing trade until the introduction of indigo, when, 

 as it has been already observed, woad began to 

 decline in consideration. Its natural colour is 

 a deep blue, almost approaching to black. In- 

 digo affords a much more lively and pleasing 

 hue, while it contains, beyond all comparison, 

 a proportionate greater quantity of colouring 

 matter; but it is less permanent than woad, 

 which is therefore still used in conjunction with 

 that and other dyes, but now seldom employed 

 by itself. Its price has been lowered by its 

 lessened consumption, and consequently there is 

 not so much inducement held out for its careful 

 cultivation and preparation. The colour now 

 sold is consequently much inferior to that for- 

 merly prepared ; and it is supposed that a more 

 careful management might be productive of 

 great improvement in this dye. 



Woad is cultivated in the Azores and the 

 Canary islands, in Italy, in Switzerland, and in 

 parts of Germany and of Sweden. It is like- 

 wise indigenous to England, and is very exten- 

 sively grown in Lancashire, where it much used. 

 This plant is also cultivated and prepared in 

 various parts of France. That of the southern 

 departments is the most esteemed, and is distin- 

 guished by the name oi pastel. Another species, 

 the isatis lusitanica, is grown in Portugal and 

 Spain. This diflfers from the isatis sativa in 

 being of smaller growth, and having narrower 

 leaves. A species of woad, apparently the same 

 plant as that used by the dyers, is found grow- 

 ing wild in some parts of France, and on the 

 coast of the Baltic sea. 



Red Saunders Wood (pterocarpus santa- 

 linus). Natural family leguminosce; diadelphia, 

 decandria, of Linnaeus. This is a large tree, 

 sending off lofty alternate branches, and covered 

 with rough bark resembling that of the common 

 alder. The leaves are alternate, oval, and grouped 

 three together. The flowers are yellow, papil- 

 ionaceous, and grow in spikes from the axillae of 

 the branches. This tree is a native of the East 

 Indies, and is found chiefly on the Coromandel 

 coast. Its qualities were first ascertained by 

 Konig, who sent a specimen and description of 

 it to the younger Linnaeus. The wood is solid 

 and compact ; on the outside it appears of a dull 

 muddy red, approaching to black ; within it is 

 of a brigliter red, but becomes brown on expos- 

 ure to the air. This wood is never employed 

 without being pulverized. It is slow of impart- 

 ing its colour to water, but yields it readily to 

 alcohol. It does not produce much colouring 

 matter when used alone, but this is a permanent 

 dye. Its colouring matter is found to dissolve 

 much better when mixed with astringent sub- 

 stances, such aa walnut-peels, sumach, or nut- 

 gaUs, With a solution of this in diluted spirit. 



and on a tin mordant, Volger produced a poppy 

 red ; on alum, a scarlet ; on sulphate of copper, 

 a crimson ; and on sulphate of iron, a deep vio- 

 let colour. 



A very trifling importation of this wood is now • 

 received into England. The duty charged upon 

 it is Is. per ton. Its price varies from £18 to 

 £19 per ton. 



The people of Sumatra, who have great skill 

 in extracting and imparting dyes, and who are 

 in possession of a vegetable black dye which is 

 said to be much wanted by us, derive good red 

 colouring matter from several other trees and 

 shrubs. 



From the outer parts of the root of a tree, 

 (morinda citrifolia), by drying, pounding, and 

 boiling them in water, they procure a red dye, 

 to fix which they employ the ashes yielded by 

 the burning of the stalks of the fruit and mid- 

 ribs of the leaves of the cocoa-nut tree. 



Oobar is a red wood which they use in col- 

 ouring their fishing nets. It resembles the log- 

 wood of Honduras, and, in the opinion of 

 Mr Marsden, might be substituted for that pro- 

 duct. 



Mr Marsden remarks, that the Sumatrans are 

 acquainted with no purple dye, nor apparently 

 are any of the Indian nations, though the art 

 is most ancient among them, and some others of 

 their colours are of unrivalled beauty. 



Madder (rvhia tinctorum). Natural family 

 ruiiacets ; tetrandria, monogynia, of Linnaeus . 



Madder. 



This plant is frequently mentioned by the Greek 

 ■nTiters, who employed its root as a medicine. 

 The root is perennial, having an annual stalk, 

 and is composed of many long thick succulent 

 fibres, about a quarter of an inch in thickness. 

 It is joined at the top in a head like asparagus, 

 and runs very deep into the ground. Many side 

 roots issue from the upper part or head of the 

 parent root, and they extend just beneath the 

 surface of the ground to a considerable distance. 

 It in consequence propagates itself very rapidly, 

 for these numerous side roots send forth many 

 shoots, which, if carefully separated in the spring 

 soon after they are above ground, become so 



