MANGEL WUr.TZEL.-- — MARJORAM ORIGANUM. 197 



found surrounded with small yellov/ offsets, at the depth 

 of two inches; and early in September, the earth from the 

 alleys is to be dug out, and laid over the plants of madder, 

 to the height of Uvo or three inches. With this, the first 

 year's operation ceases. 



" The second year's work begins in May, with giving 

 the beds a thorough weeding ; and care must be taken to 

 supply them vvith plenty of water during the summer. In 

 September, the lirst crop of seed will be ripe ; at which 

 time the stems of the plants may be mown down, and the 

 roots covered a few inches with earth, taken as before out 

 of the alleys. 



" The weeding should take place as early as possible in the 

 spring of the third year ; and the crop, instead of being left 

 for seed, may be cut three times, during summer, for green 

 fodder, all kinds of cattle being remarkably fond of it. 



" In October, the roots are taken up, the offsets carefully 

 separated, and immediately used to form a new plantation ; 

 and the roots, after being dried, are sold, either without 

 further preparation, or ground to a coarse powder, and 

 sprinkled with an alkaline lie. 



" The roots lose four fifths of their weight in drying ; 

 and the produce of an acre is about two thousand pounds 

 weight of dry, saleable madder." 



" Madder usually sells for about thirty-two dollars per 

 hundred ; so that the produce of an acre, as above stated, 

 would amount to six hundred and forty dollars." — Farmerh 



MANGEL WURTZEL.— ^ee Beet. 



MARJORAM ORIGANUM.— Of this herb there are 

 four different species cultivated ; the potj sweety winter^ and 

 common. 



Pot marjoram — O. onites — is a hardy, perennial, under 

 shrub, a native of Italy. The stem rises more than a foot 

 high, and is covered with spreading hairs ; the leaves are 

 small and acute, almost sessile, and downy on both sides. 

 It is in flower from July to November, and is propagated 

 from seed, but chiefly from rooted slips. 



Sweet marjoram — O. marjorana — is a hardy biennial, 

 a native of Portugal. It resembles the O. Oiiites^ but the 

 leaves have distinct petioles, and the flov/ers, which appear 

 in June and July, are collected in small, close heads ; and 

 hence it is often called knotted marjorcm. When in blos- 

 som, the herb is cut over, and dried for winter use, so that 

 a sowi. g requires to be made every year. 

 17 ^ 



