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benefit. And to one of its earliest and most respectable 
members I presume to address this information. 
I have been many years a considerable consumer of 
Woad ; and have also cultiyated it with much success ; and 
though I am well experienced in the usual method of its 
preparation, I was induced to depart from it in consequence 
of the great waste of its juices in the old method of grind¬ 
ing and balling, but I shall endeavor to give instructions for 
Carrying on each process and leave those who shall under¬ 
take it to proceed as they think best. 
This plant is cultivated in different parts of England for 
the use of the dyers as well as in France, Germany, &c—. 
It is best to sow the seeds in the month of March or early 
in April, if the season invite and the soil be in condition to 
receive it; but it requires a deep loamy soil and is bet¬ 
ter still with a clay bottom such as is not subject to become 
dry too quickly. It must never be flooded but situated so 
as to drain its surface that it may not be poisoned by any 
water stagnant upon it. 
If meadow land can be procured at a reasonable price, it 
ought to be done. By breaking the turf, it will be rendered 
doubly productive. This land is generally freest from weeds 
and putrid matter, though sometimes it abounds with botts 
and snails. However it saves much expense in weeding ; 
and judicious management will get rid of those otherwise de¬ 
structive vermin. A season of warm showers not too dry 
or too wet gives the most regular crop, and produces the 
best Woad. If Woad is sown on corn land much expense 
generally attends hoeing and weeding ; and here it will re¬ 
quire strong manure, though on leys it is seldom much ne¬ 
cessary, yet land cannot be too rich. On rich land, dung 
should be avoided, particularly on leys, to avoid weeds ; some 
people sow Woad as grain and harrow it in, and afterwards 
hoe it as turnips, leaving the plants at a distance in propor¬ 
tion to the strength of the land ; others sow it in ranks by a 
drill plough, and some dibble it in (in quincunx form by a 
