210 POPULAR ECONOMIC BOTANY. 



it was found both wild and cultivated in Italy and Asia 

 Minor, and, besides being used in dyeing, was also used in 

 medicine under the name of JErythrodanon. Pliny mentions 

 it under the same name, and also calls it Rubia, which is now 

 used for its generic appellation. Leuchs, in his 'Traite 

 complet des Matieres Tinctoriales/ says that the Romans 

 also called it Vcerantia, whence the Trench have derived 

 their name Garance. It gives the much-admired Turkey- 

 red colour, also madder-brown and madder-yellow ; but it 

 requires nice manipulation to produce bright colours with 

 this material. Formerly the Turks understood the use of 

 madder better than any other people, but lately the art in 

 this country has attained equal if not superior excellence. 

 The cultivation of madder, which occupies a large portion of 

 the agricultural class in Turkey and the Levant, and also in 

 Holland and Prance, requires much care and labour ; the 

 soil requires to be well and deeply worked. The plant is 

 propagated by sets, or suckers from the crown of the root, 

 those taken above ground succeeding best ; they are planted 

 in May or June, nine or ten inches apart. The roots are 

 not fit for digging until the third autumn after they are 

 planted. When raised the roots are usually dried in kilns ; 

 seasons however occur occasionally when the roots are dried 



