MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 357
fnould be done before the roots are removed to the cold ftove; for the flower the roots are dried, the lefs they will fhrink, and the better will be the colour of the madder; and the cleaner the roots are from earth, the better the commodity will be for the ufe when pre- pared.
Wherever there are any large barns or other buildings, Wiinfe fides are open to admit the air, there will be no occaiion for eredi- ing buildings for this purpofe; be- caufe thefe will anfwer full as well; bat if there are different itages of hurdles eredled in thefe buildings, at three or four feet above each other, to lay the roots upon them, the hurdles being open, will admit the air to the under lide of the roots, whereby they will dry more
cient quantity of air through the rooms where the madder roots are drying, in the manner direded by the Reverend Dr. Hales for drying of malt and heps, it will be found a much better method than that which is praitifed by the Dutch, and will fave a great exper.ce of fuel.
When the outCde of the roots have been fuff.ciently dried in this cold ftove or kiln, they ihould be removed to the threfliing-iloor, which may be the fame as in a common barn where corn is threfh- ed. The lioor of this (hould be fwept, and made as clean as polS- ble; then the roots fliould be threfh- ed to beat ofF their flcins or out- fide coverings; this is the part which is prepared feparately from the inner part of the root, and is
equally than when they are fpread called mull, which is fold at a very
on aclcfe floor, and hereby a much low price, being the worfl fort of
greater quantity of roots may be madder, fo cannot be uled where
dried under the?arae roof. During the permanency or beauty of the
the time they remain here, the colours are regarded; ihefe hufks
doors and all other apertures of are feparated from the roots, pound-
the building fhould be kept con- ed by themfelves, and are after-
ftantly open, for the greater quar.- wards packed up in feparate cafks, -
tity of free air is admitted to the and fold by the title of mull. If
roots, the better they will dry; and this is weil prepared, and not mix-
the fio.ver they dry at firil, the lefs of their weight will be diminiJhed, and the colour will be the better j but they muft be guarded from wet, which will be very prejudicial to the colour. When the roots have lain in this place fo long as to dry
ed with di:t, it may be fold for about rifteen iliillings per hundred weight, at the price which madder now bears, and this, as is fuppofed, will defray the v,'hole expence of drying the crop.
After the mull is feparated from
their outfides fufficienily to rub off the roots, they mull then be re-
the dirt which adhered to them, then they fnould be carried to the kiln to be farther dried; and as there are in moll: parts of Eng- land kilns already built for dry- ing of malt and hops, they may
moved to the kiln again, which mud now have a greater hest than beJore, where they muft be dryed with care, for if the heat is too great, the roots will dry too fali, hereby they will lofe much ia
be ufed for drying of madder; weight, and the colour of the mad- but if there were ventilators fixed der will not be near fo bright : to to thefe kilns, for blowing a fufii- avoid which, the roots Ihould be
A a 3 frequenil/
