46 
ON MADDER. 
The madder of Alsatia is packed in oaken casks or hogs- 
heads of 600 kilogrammes, in half hogsheads of 300 kilo- 
grammes, in quarters of 150 kilogrammes, and in barrels of 
100 kilogrammes. All these hogsheads are similar in form, 
and only differ in size. 
It is at Strasburgh, Hagenau and Geisselbrunn that the 
so-called Alsatian madder is manufactured. 
3. Madder of Avignon. 
The madder of Avignon is most generally used at the 
present time, and even preferred to the other kinds, because 
the dyer and cotton-printer find it easier, by using it, to vary 
the reds according to wish. It is especially since the peace 
of 1815 that the use of this madder has greatly increased. 
Of all the kinds of madder this is the sort which has un- 
dergone the most modifications ; I may say, almost the only 
kind in which variations have been made in the marks and 
in the quality. In Holland and in Alsatia the quality spe- 
cified is generally conformable to the mark. In Avignon, 
on the contrary, each manufacturer has a mark to desig- 
nate its quality; and the mark SFF, which with one is 
beautiful, is but middling with another. The result is, that 
the trader cannot trust to the mark alone, which presents a 
different tint in each manufactory. The madder of Avignon 
therefore can only be bought after having been spread out 
to view upon linen. 
The characters of this powder are, — odor agreeable, 
slightly penetrating ; taste sweetish bitter ; color either rose, 
bright-red or brown-red, according to the roots employed 
in the preparation and to the degree of mixture ; state of 
division very fine ; powder dry to the touch. 
When submitted to the action of the atmosphere, it ab- 
sorbs moisture less readily than the other species ; however, 
it does not work less, and subsequently affords a pale or 
very dark red, according to whether the powder operated 
on was rosy or palus. 
