*°2 THE TRADE IN MADDER. 



In Fi-ance the culture of madder is chiefly carried on in the department 

 of Vaucluse, of which the town of Avignon is the centre. The soil is pecu- 

 liarly favourable to the development of the root, being calcareous, light, 

 and rich. A clayey soil will produce good madder, but its working is 

 difficult. A soil, therefore, in which sand enough prevails with the clay to 

 render it friable, is that which is to be chosen. It must be deeply cultivated, 

 as the roots, which constitute the value of the crop, run down very far. 

 The ground requires to be well manured. The rich polders or redeemed 

 meadows, both in Holland and Flanders, are favourite spots for the cultiva- 

 tion of this crop. The fine alluvial "bottoms" produced by the sea abound 

 m soda and siliceous sand. Such differences in the constituents of the soil 

 exercise a great influence on the production of the red colouring matter of 

 this root. Hence, Zealand madder contains more of the yellow and less of 

 the red colouring matter than the better sorts of the French product. In 

 Vaucluse madder is raised from seed sown in spring ; in Zealand it' is 

 propagated from shoots or offsets planted in May. 



We need not follow in detail the culture, which merely requires loosening 

 the soil, keeping clear from weeds, and feeding off the herbage. The roots 

 of the older plants have much more value than those which are younger. 

 The madder which is not taken up until the third year produces much more 

 and of a better quality than that which is gathered in the second ; but the 

 increased expense and rent of the land are seldom compensated by the 

 increased product. 



The harvesting appears to be a work of much labour. The roots, which 

 in a well-prepared soil extend to a great depth, must be taken up with care, 

 and without injury. Sometimes a plough is passed along the line, and then 

 the work is finished with the spade, but generally it is wholly done by the 

 spade ; the intervals between the beds being dug out to the depth of two 

 feet, and the plants carefully displaced and taken out by means of forks or 

 narrow hoes. The excellent condition in which, under such cultivation, 

 the land is left for other crops, is a considerable indemnity for the expense 

 and trouble bestowed upon the crop of madder. The plants lie upon the 

 ground three or four days, in small heaps, in order to dry, and, in case of 

 rain, are covered with straw. 



In the preparation of madder for market, there are three modes of drying 

 the roots — by the sun, in the shade, and with stoves. When dried by the 

 sun there is a considerable loss in weight and in the quality of the roots ; it 

 is, therefore, preferable to dry them in the shade, exposed to a current of 

 air, although the operation may be more promptly effected with a stove ; 

 but by the latter process they lose seven-eighths of their weight. 



When the roots are sufficiently dried, they are reduced to a powder, first 

 by placing them on close osier hurdles, where they are lightly beaten with 

 flails, which separates the earth as well as the epidermis and radicles, the 

 smallest of which are used for inferior dyeing. The large roots, which are 

 good and of a red colour, are then dried and cleaned once more, and re- 

 duced to a fine powder by passing through a bruising-mill ; then packed in 



