THE COTTAGE GABDEXER AND COUNTRY GENTLEMAN. XcrxxrrT. Zi. 1~:~. 
more oak than our coal formations: in these there are the 
decayed remains of many Fir or Pine trees, in "which there 
was plenty of resin, and perhaps wax. If we mistake not. 
tne^ glo»y substance on tne leases of the Scotfh j r is w ax. 
which may be >een in dottea rows with a rrmmm micro¬ 
scope,—-J. Wbghtox. 
A NOTICE OF THE TEIX-CHrXG OK CHINESE INDIGO. 
By Mr. K. Eoxrrxr. 
Whzx in the north of China my attention 
was directed to a plant largely cultivated by 
the inhabitants for the sake of its bine dye. 
In the southern provinces a considerable 
quantity of indigo (Inoigofera) is cultivated 
and manufactured, besides a large portion 
which is annually imported from Manilla and 
the Straits. In the north, however, the plant 
which we call Indigo is never met with, 
owing, I suppose, to the coldness of the 
winters, but its place is supplied by this I tat is 
indigotica , or the Tcin-ching, as it is called by 
the Chinese. 
I met with it in the Nanking cotton dis¬ 
trict, a few miles west from Shanghai, where 
it is considered a plant of great importance, 
and covers a large tract of conn try. It is 
grown in rows a few inches apart, and at a 
distance looks like a field of young Turnip or 
Cabbage plants. In June. I >44. when I was 
in that country, the plants were from six 
inches to a foot in height, and being con¬ 
sidered in perfection the natives were busily 
employed in cutting them and removing them 
to the manufactory. One of these places 
which I inspected was close on the banks of 
the canal, and was placed there for the con¬ 
venience of the farmers, who brought their 
leaves in boats from the surrounding country, 
as well as to be near the water, a large 
quantity of which was requisite in the manu¬ 
facture. It consisted of a number of round 
tanks, which are built for the purpose of 
steeping the leaves. The leaves are thrown 
into the tanks and covered with water, and, 
after remaining for a certain length of time, 
the juice is drawn off into other tanks, where 
I believe it is mixed with lime. The colour 
of the liqnid at first is a kind of greenish 
blue, but after being well stirred up and ex¬ 
posed to the air it becomes much darker and 
very like the well-known indigo of commerce. 
I suppose it is thickened afterwards by 
evaporation in some way, but that part of 
the process did not come under my observa¬ 
tion. 
I am very much inclined to believe that 
this is the dye used to colour the green teas 
which are manufactured in the north of China 
for the English and American markets. This, 
however, is only conjecture. 
The plant has a half-shrubby stem covered 
with a fine bloom. Its root-leaves are oval- 
lanceolate. on long stalks, sharp pointed, 
slightly toothed, and somewhat fleshy. Those 
on the upper part of the stem, near the flowers, are linear. 
The stem is decumbent, a foot and a half long, and divided 
its c vremity into several drooping racemes about six 
inches long: on its sides it bears here and there small 
lusters of leaves like those of the root. Flowers very small, 
vellow. Silicles black, quite smooth, six lines long by two 
wide in the broadest part, oblong, obtuse at each end, a 
ittle contracted below the middle, with a thin edge and a 
single median line. 
It seems to be a new species of Isatis, perfectly distinct 
rom all previously discovered. It belongs to the Glastum 
i vision, or true Woads, among which its dwarf, half-shrubby 
abit aud acute, lanceolate, long-stalked leaves are con- 
1 'icuons. I propose to call it Isatis indigotica. and to dis- 
nguisk it by the following technical character:— Isatis 
astnm) indigotica; sutfrutieosa, folds radicalibns g'...u. s 
ovali-lanceolatis latimdine ter lwngioribus ohsc'eb deniacs, 
canlinis Imearibos salkslis linoaribos gtabris stagnate 
t .. . . :s . . s r ■ • — 
(2Zorr<V*o7»re< Society's Joan 
Extraordinary Proofcr or ax Akiopt Tkeb ix 
G ms sty.—A n Apricot tree belonging to lbs. Alter, of 
Hanteville, has for many years past given a prodtaoe which 
would be incredible if the fact were not notorious. In the 
year 1859 this tree yielded no less than 16,000 Apricots, and 
tl is year the y: ... as been at toast 1- .-is . 
perfectly ripened Apricots. The tree, which is, we believe, 
upwards of forty years old, maawmiti HO feel ia bright, and 
has a span of GO feet, thus .. nfaoe of 1^00 feet 
