ON MADDER. 
45 
This word grappe (bunch) is employed when age has given 
consistence to the powder. The term grappe is used to de- 
signate its state of agglomeration. 
This kind of madder formerly came from Holland in oaken 
casks of the weight of 600 kilogrammes. 
This madder, which has replaced the Dutch inourmanu 
factories, although it does not possess all its qualities, has 
the following characters : — 
The smell is less decided, more penetrating than that of 
the preceding; taste less sweet, equally bitter ; color brown 
to bright yellow, according to the mark ; state of division 
coarse. It easily absorbs moisture from the atmosphere ; 
by long exposure it changes from yellow to a dark red ; in 
use, however, it inclines more to yellow. 
As is the case with the Dutch madder, it is not employed 
while fresh ; it is in full vigor when two years old. It de- 
teriorates sooner than the former ; its fermentation is less 
decided ; it grows very hard however in the casks, coheres 
to the very centre, and there is the same difficulty to ex- 
tract it. The progress of decomposition is the same ; the 
madder which has undergone this process can only be used 
for dark tints. 
The Alsatian madder is never known by the denomina- 
tions of stripped or not stripped, although the operation of 
stripping takes place. The marks alone distinguish the 
varieties. The marks known in our markets are — 
FF, Fine fine. 
The most generally used is FF. 
SFF is nearly an exception to the method employed by 
the Alsatians in grinding, who are strict enough in their 
marks to be unwilling to prepare a very fine quality, whicli 
would be to the injur yo f the preceding. 
2. Alsatian Madder. 
0, Mulle. 
MF, Mi fine. 
SF, Superfine. 
SFF, Superfine fine. 
