AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
115 
one roof. There is no force in the objection, 
because there is no reason why any bai n-yard 
buildings should ever be burned, as we never 
have occasion for fire about them. At any rate, 
this consideration is of too little weight to bal¬ 
ance the numerous conveniences of this arrange¬ 
ment. 
The building should contain a mule shelter, 
a corn crib, a fodder and oat loft, a cutting 
room, and a harness room. The mule shelter 
should be sufficiently large to afford abundance 
of room for each mule, and should be divided 
into stalls or not, as suited the notions of the 
planter. I prefer a stall 10 by 7 for every mule. 
The corn-crib, fodder loft, and the cutting-room 
should all be so arranged as to connect with 
the mule stable without the necessity of leav¬ 
ing the roof, in order to prevent unnecessary 
exposure in wet weather. Care should also 
be had in the construction of the house, for 
making manure, and also for hauling it out 
easily. 
I have given these general suggestions, rather 
than send a drawing of some particular plan, as 
almost every one has some fancy to gratify in 
the construction of a barn. 
LEAVES FROM MY CHINESE NOTE BOOK. 
Chinese Indigo — a neio hind discovered .— 
Those who read my “Wanderings in China,” 
may remember the account I gave of a valuable 
kind of indigo made from a species of wood 
(Isatis indigotica ) which is extensively culti¬ 
vated in the level country, a few miles to the 
westward of Shanghae; I have now to notice 
another kind, equally valuable, if not more so, 
which is made from a species of Justicia, or 
from a plant of that natural order to which Jus¬ 
ticia belongs. This kind is largely cultivated 
in the hilly country near Ningpo, or rather in 
the valleys amongst the hills. It seems to be 
easily cultivated—it grows most luxuriantly, and 
is no doubt very productive. Having evidently 
been introduced from a more southern latitude, 
it is not hardy in the province of Chekiang, any 
more than cotton is about Shanghae; but nev¬ 
ertheless it succeeds admirably as a summer 
crop. It is planted in the end of April or the 
beginning of May, after the spring frosts are 
over, and it is cleared from the ground in Octo¬ 
ber. During this period it attains a height of a 
foot or a foot and a half, becomes very bushy, 
and is densely covered with large green leaves. 
It is cut before any flowers are formed. The 
Chinese method of preserving plants for next 
year’s crop is most ingenious and well worth 
notice. I have already remarked that it is a 
tender plant, and consequently the roots left in 
the ground after the gathering season, are all 
destroyed by the first frosts of winter. But the 
Chinese do not depend upon these for the next 
year’s crop; nor do they take them up, or cover 
then) in any way, but simply leave them to 
their fate, after having done their duty for one 
year. Cuttings are found to be much more 
vigorous and productive than the old roots, and 
to the preservation of cuttings the Chinese culti¬ 
vator directs his attention. When the stems 
are cut for the manufacture of indigo, a large 
quantity of them have their leaves stripped off, 
and are afterwards taken into a house or shed 
to be properly prepared. The leaves thus 
: stripped from the cuttings are thrown into the 
tanks with the other stems and leaves, so that 
! nothing is lost except what is actually required 
I for tne purpose of propagation. The stems are 
now tied up firmly in large bundles, each con¬ 
taining upwards of 1000, and the ends of each 
bundle arc cut across, so as to leave them per¬ 
fectly neat and even, both at top and bottom, 
l’hese bundles are each about a foot long, and, 
of course, nearly round. Having been thus 
prepared, they are carried to a dry shed or out¬ 
house, where in some snug corner, they are 
packed closely and firmly together, and banked 
round with very dry loam. A portion of the 
dry soil is also shaken in between the bundles; 
and this being done, the operation is complete. 
Should the winter prove usually severe, a little 
dry straw or litter is thrown over the surface of 
the cuttings, but nothing else is required. Dur¬ 
ing the winter months, the cuttings remain 
green and plump; and, although no leaves are 
produced, a few roots are generally found 
formed, or in the act of forming, when the wit¬ 
ter has passed, and the season for planting has 
come round. In this state they are taken to 
the fields and planted. The weather during 
the planting season is generally showery, as 
this happens about the change of the monsoon, 
when the air is charged with moisture. A few 
days of this warm showery weather is sufficient 
to establish the new crop, which now goes on 
growing with luxuriance, and requires little at¬ 
tention during the summer—indeed none, ex¬ 
cept keeping the land free from weeds. In the 
country where this dye is grown, there are nu¬ 
merous pits or tanks on the edges of the fields. 
They are usually circular in form; and one 
which I measured was 11 feet in diameter, and 
2 feet in depth. About 400 catties of stems and 
leaves are thrown into a tank of this size, which 
is then filled to the brim with clear water. In 
five days the plant is partially decomposed, and 
the water has become lightish-green in color. 
At this period the whole of the stems and leaves 
are removed from the tank with a flat-headed 
broom made of Bamboo twigs, an admirable in¬ 
strument for the purpose. When every parti¬ 
cle has been removed, the workmen employed 
give the water a circular and rapid motion with 
the brooms just noticed, which is continued for 
some time. During this part of the operation, 
another man has employed himself in mixing 
about 30 catties of iime with water, which water 
has been taken out of the tank for the purpose. 
This is now thrown into the tank, and the rapid 
circular motion of the water is kept up for a few 
minutes longer. When the lime and water have 
been well mixed in this way the circular motion 
is allowed to cease. Four men now station them¬ 
selves round the tank and commence beating the 
water with bamboo rakes made for this purpose— 
the beating process is a very gentle one. As it 
goes on the water gradually changes from a green¬ 
ish hue to a dingy yellow, while the froth becomes 
of a beautiful bright blue. During the process 
the head workman takes a pailful of the liquid 
out of the tank and beats it rapidly with his 
hand. Under this operation it changes color at 
once, and its value is judged of by the hue it 
presents. The beating process generally lasts 
for about half an hour. At the end of this time 
the whole of the surface of the tank is covered 
with a thick coating of froth of the most bril¬ 
liant colors, in which blue predominates, partic¬ 
ularly near the edges. At this stage, it being 
desirable to incorporate the froth with the 
liquid below it, I witnessed a most beautiful 
chemical operation which took me completely 
by surprise, and showed how universally must 
be the knowledge of the effect of throwing “ oil 
upon the waters.” A very small portion of 
cabbage-oil—only a few drops—was thrown on 
the surface of the froth, the workmen then stir¬ 
red and beat it gently with their flat brooms for 
a second or two and the whole disappeared as 
if by some enchanter’s wand. And so small a 
quantity of oil was necessary for this purpose 
that even when the cup had been emptied, and 
had only the oil that was necessarily adhering 
to its edges, it was thrown into another tank, 
and produced the desired effect. The liquid, 
which is now darker in color, is allowed to 
stand quiet for some hours, until the coloring 
matter has sunk to the lower stratum, when 
about two-thirds of the surface is drawn off and 
thrown away. The remaining third part is then 
drawn into a small square tank on a lower level, 
which is thatched over with straw, and here it 
remains for three or four days. By this time 
the coloring matter has separated itself from the 
water, which is now entirely drained off—the 
dye occupying 3 or 4 inches of the bottom in 
the form of a thick paste, and of a beautiful blue 
color. In this state it is packed in baskets and 
exposed for sale in all the country towns in this 
part of China. What its intrinsic value may be 
when compared with the indigo of commerce, I 
have no means of ascertaining, but it is largely 
used in this part of the world, where blue is the 
most fashionable color, judging from the dresses 
of the people. And it is possible that with our 
knowledge a color of this kind might be greatly 
improved. After being grown and manufactured 
as I have described, it is sold at rates varying 
from 50 to 100 cash a catty, say from 2 d. to id. 
per lb. Some is sold as low as 30 cash, but 
this is very inferior; the greater part produced 
is sold from 60 to 80 cash a catty, and it must 
be of a very superior quality if 100 cash is paid. 
Like the Shanghae Indigo made from Isatis in¬ 
digotica, it is called “Lien-ching” by the Chi¬ 
nese. I have just sent a large supply of the 
cuttings above described to the Agricultural and 
Horticultural Society of India, and hope the 
plant may prove of some value in a country 
where the indigo of commerce is largely culti¬ 
vated.—I?. F., in Gardeners' Chronicle. 
-a- 
A NEW AND BEAUTIFUL TREE IN OREGON. 
Mr. Brooks, a respectable farmer of Olympia, 
Oregon, writes to a friend in Boston a very in¬ 
teresting account of a strange and beautiful 
tree lately discovered in that country. It was 
communicated to the Journal of Agriculture , 
from which we take the following extract: 
A strange and beautiful tree has been discov¬ 
ered in Washington Territory, which is not 
known to exist in any other part of the habitable 
globe. The tree is destined, I think, to make 
some noise in the world. It is remarkable, be¬ 
cause its like is not found elsewhere, and on 
account of its great beauty and fragrance. The 
tree varies in height from one to seven feet. The 
leaf resembles that of the pear; while the 
trunk and branches look like those of an orange 
tree. The upper side of the leaf is coated with 
gum, having the appearance of oil, and of the 
consistence of honey. Handling them, causes 
the gum to adhere slightly to the fingers. The 
gum, as well as the leaf and bark, is highly 
odorous. The fragrance, which is quite strong, 
resembles that of Bergamot, or ripe fruit, and a 
few leaves are sufficient to perfume a room. A 
leaf, fully wrapped up in paper, so as to be en¬ 
tirely concealed, was handed to several persons, 
with a request that they would tell by the smell 
what it was. All expressed themselves highly 
delighted with its fragrance, but gave different 
answers as to its character. Some said it 
smelled like ripe pears; some that it was Ber¬ 
gamot; whilst others thought it smelled like 
ripe apples. The flower resembles that of the 
white Jessamine. 
This will certainly make a very beautiful and 
desirable ornamental tree, to grow in our gar¬ 
dens, around our dwellings, near the parlor-win¬ 
dows, or to form a choice bower. Its inti insic 
value for these purposes is greatly enhanced by 
the consideration that it is an Evergreen. This 
specimen is brought from my farm, and is taken 
from a grove of about a quarter of an acre. 
The plan? is very rare even here, the oldest set¬ 
tlers of the country say they never saw it 
growing elsewhere. Still 1 have no doubt it 
will be found in other places. It has been 
known to the priests of the Catholic Mission ot 
St. Joseph for some years, but has not attracted 
attention until recently. 
Tallow, Tallow. —There is now apparently 
a fine field about to be opened for the sale of 
any extra tallow that our tallow dealers may 
have on hand, or our farmers be able to raise 
during the war between Britain and Russia. 
In 1852 no less than 64,5781 tons were imported 
from the latter country, by the former. All 
this supply "will now be cut off, and tne soap 
and candle makers of England will have to look 
about them for supplies from some other quar¬ 
ters.— Scientific American. 
