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three different Manners, and diftiii- 

 guihYd by the Names of Madder in 

 the Branch, Madder in the Bundle, 

 and Madder unbundled. The firft 

 Sort is brought to us in the Root, as 

 it corner out of the Ground, with- 

 out any other Preparation than that 

 of being dried. The fecond Sort is 

 that of Bunch Madder, or fuch as is 

 made into Bundles, which is Mad- 

 der in Branch, firft freed from the 

 Bark and the Pith, then ground by 

 a Mill into grofs Powder, as we 

 buy it. The third Sort is the Mad- 

 der unbundled, that is, the Branch- 

 ed Madder ground into Powder ; 

 but the Bunched Madder, or that in 

 Bundles, is the beft, which, for its 

 "Excellency, when it is frefh, is 

 made into Bales, or put into Cafks : 

 'tis of a pale Red ; bur, as it grows 

 cider, increafes its Colour to a fine 

 - Red : that of Zeala?id is efteemed 

 the beft for the Dyers Ufe. 



In the Year 1727. I obferv'd a 

 great Quantity of this Plant culti- 

 vated in Holland, between Helvott- 

 Jluice and the Brill ; and it being 

 the firft time I had ever feen any 

 con lider able Parcel of it, I was 

 tempted to make fome Inquiries 

 about its Culture, and take fome 

 Minutes of it down upon the Spot, 

 which I (hall here infert, for the 

 Ufe of fuch as may have Curiofity to 

 attempt the Culture of it. 



In Autumn they plow the Land, 

 where they intend to plant Madder, 

 in the Spring, and lay it in Iv'gh 

 Ridges, that the Froft may mellow 

 it ; m March they plow it again ; 

 and at this Seafon they work it very 

 deep, laying it up in Ridges eighteen 

 Inches afunder, and about a Foot 

 high ; then about the Beginning of 

 April, when the Madder will begin 

 to (hoot out of the Ground, they 

 open the E3ith about their old 

 Roots, and take off all the Side- 



Ihoots, which extend themfelves ho- 

 rizontally, juft under the Surface of 

 the Ground, preferying as much 

 Root to tiiem as poflible: thefe they 

 tranfplant immediately upen the 

 Tops of the new Ridge% at about a 

 Foot apart, obferving always to do 

 this when there are iome Showers, 

 becaufe then the Plants will take 

 Root in a few Days, and will re- 

 quire no Water. 



When the Plants are growing, 

 they careful y keep the Ground 

 hoed, to prevent the Weeds from 

 coming up between them ; for if 

 they are fmotrured by Weeds, efpe- 

 cially when young, it will either de- 

 ftroy or weaken them fo much, that 

 they feldom do well after. In thefe 

 Ridges they let the Plants remain 

 two Seafons, during which time 

 they keep the Ground very clem ; 

 and at Michaelmas, when tht Tops 

 of the Plants are decay 'd, they take 

 up the Roots, and dry them for Sale. 

 This is what I could learn of their 

 Method of cultivating this P'ant ; to 

 which I will fubjoin a few Obferva- 

 tions of my own, which I have fince 

 made upon the Culture of Madder 

 in England. And, firft, I find there 

 is no NeceiTity for laying the Ground 

 up in Ridges in England, as is prac- 

 tifed by the Dutch (especially in dry 

 Land), becaufe the Places where I 

 faw it were very wet Land, which is 

 often floated in Winter ; fo that if 

 the Plants were not elevated upon. 

 Ridges, their Roots would rot in 

 W r inter. Secondly, They mould be 

 planted at a greater Diftance, in 

 England-, the Rows mould be at 

 lea ft three Feet Diftance, and the 

 Plants eighteen Inches afunder in the 

 Rows ; for as they e?:ter.d themfelves 

 pretty far under-ground, fo, where 

 they are planted too near, their 

 Roots will not have ror.m to grow. 

 And. thirdly, I rmd, that if all the 



4 H 4 * harizoa- 



