MADDER. This plant was formerly culti vated to some extent, in the middle portions of the United States, rich, dry, sandy bottom lands being best adapted to its growth, and the pro duction of the roots. These were formerly extensively used for dyeing red, but they are now in a great degree superseded by petroleum dyes. The product is about 2,000 pounds per acre. It is hardly probable that the cultivation of madder will be profitable in the United States; it requires much hand work, and hence, our expensive labor can not compete with the -cheap labor of France, Turkey, fand India. Madder requires a comparatively mild climate for its growth such a,s may be found in the lati tude of Cincinnati, and South and West. Its manner of cultivation in France is as follows: It is grown from seed in a chalky alluvial deposit, and is sown in beds five or six feet wide, with a space of eighteen inches between the beds. In November of the first year, the young plants are covered two or three inches with earth taken from between the beds. In the second and third years the beds are carefully weeded, and the foliage cut for forage when in flower. The roots are dug in August or September of the third year, and simply cleaned if the earth is dry, but washed if so-damp as to adhere. In digging, the earth is loosened by a spade or fork, and the roots are drawn, piled, dried in the open air, and packed in bales. The seed should be per fectly dry and free from fermentation. A ridge of eight or nine inches wide and one inch aud a half deep is made with a spade and sowed. At a, distance of two inches another ridge, of the same size, is run, having care to cover the seed of the first ridge with the earth taken from the second, and so on to the cotnpletion of the third ridge. These three ridges form a platband about three feet wide, separated from each other by a space one and a half feet in width, left as a path for the laborer in weeding. From this path also is taken the earth to cover the plants in autumn, when the leaves are dead. For the sake of economy these paths are sometitnes planted with potatoes, beets, etc., but each extra plant should be put far apart, If the earth is well pulverized, instead of the seed being sown. one had better plant roots of the preceding year's growth, as crops obtained from the plants dis play much finer roots than when raised directly from the seed. But if the ground is not friable, but hard and clayey, the plants would not grow well,and possibly would not take at all. In this
case seed must be sown. An acre of madder produces seed sufficient for three or four acres of sowing. For the transplanting of roots, as indicated above, ridges, about three feet wide and three inches deep, are made, and the roots laid therein just free from each other; and between these ridges an uncultivated space is left, as in. sowing. The seed is sown, or the roots transplanted, in March, and great care must be observed in keeping the land free from weeds; the paths, also, being attended to in this respect. When the land is dry, from drought, it will be necessary to water it by irrigating the intermediate paths, if possible. Slimy water is preferable to clear water for this purpose. In autumn, when the plants lose their verdure and turn to a grayish tint, they must be covered with one and a half or two inches of earth takeu from the paths. In the following spring the clods must be broken with a rake. The madder cultivated in strong, dry soils may be removed iu three years. and from wet lands in eighteen months. Thus the madder of the mountain requires three years to mature well, while the "paluds" may be dug in from one and a half to three years. The roots should not be extracted until.the seed has been produced. Some cultivators, who are pressed for the moneyed results of their labors, do not wait for the seed; but the madder thus prema turely gathered is of an inferior quality. The ramifications of the stalk are first cut, dried, and threshed for the seed; the straw, or refuse, is saved as fodder for cattle. The roots are then dug with the spade or fork, and as their length will average one and a half feet, it can be seen that their removal leaves the land in a prepared -,tate for some other crop. When dug they are spread on the " aire," usually a level, paved spot of ground, where they are dried by the action of the sun and air. When the larger roots may be easily broken, they should be heaped up, so that the smaller tips, (pettis couts,) may become thoroughly dry. Care must be taken that this place be free from dampness. When the roots are sufficiently dry they are embaled and sent to the manufacturers, where they are stored in a well ventilated granary. It is taken from the granary in proportion to each day's demand, and, having caused it to lose fifteen or sixteen per cent. of water in a drying oven, it is passed under a large mill-stone and ground to powder. The bolters keep the coarser portion for a second grinding.