American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-11-12

TENDED purpose, for the liquors, so Iono d. g.
enabled to supply them with IT, worked much rraS.
ana more vigorous than In the usual Say: and =,
though this experiment was not decisive Ior ,,s".
OF sufficient quantity and from the plant be;no W."
Old when gathered, yet am consnced by The sg w.
produced, that 1t may be used to great ADVANTAGE
AS the thdaSoe,n is found every where in ill.,
CnHsu States and IN many places in great abun.
dance 1t would seem desirable that some .vnna;
ments should be made on it, to test the supe,or;,
attributed to it, of which there appears to br hnw.
little room for doubts for, if this were estab,ishaS
II would become an object of great national mnor
ltance, lnasmuch as the color made from IT, womb
/ be superior to those obtained from Eurone. arS
Thereby to give to the American fabric preference
in color IN which they are now decidedly Diff.
lent.
lapprehend the balls are made by simply nlacin,,
the leaves together, face ways, as they are gather
ed; that when ball is made it ferments, and ey.
udes suio lent molsiure cause an adhesion Of m.
mass and that this process develops the colornc
matter so as to enable the vat liquor to cxtrac, !,
with sufficient facility.
his is not the only mode of preparing the plant
The following extracts will prove there is consd.
cradle latltude both in preparing and in working
afterwards.
| Captain G. Roberts, in the account Of his VIVA,
lges mentions "the indigo plant as growing wild !,
Bona'i sla and that the natives prepare it, only b
pounding the leaves of the shrub while greer. in
wooden mortar, with wooden peste. and so rcdnce
M to kind OF pulp, which they form into thick
round cakes, or balls, and drying it, keep till thew
have occasion TO use it for dyeing their cloths NJ
Nungo Park, in the account OF his travels in Afrca
says-'that to dye cloth of lasting blue color. ar.
cording to the practice Of the negro women the
leaves OF the indigo when fresh gathered, ore poun
Ided IN W OGDEN mortar, and mixed in large ear.
Iihen jar with strong I've OF wood ashes, fcham
oeFye being sometimes added) and the cloth is
stepped IN this mixture, and allowed TO remain IN.
III It has acquired proper shade.
When indigo is most plentiful. they collect the
leaves and dry them in the sun, and when they wish
to use them they reduce sufficient quantity to
powder, and mix it with I've as before mentioned.
Mr. Marsden. IN his history Of Sumatra says, 'rhe
inclgo shrub (Yaroom) is always found in their
plantations but the natives, to dye with it, leave
Inc stock and branches for some days in water to
SOAK, then boil 1t. and with their hands work some
quick lime among It, with the leaves of the pacoo
saba Tor liking the color. They then drain il OF,
and use il in liquid state"
The Indigo made from the Wild plant, is said 10
be OF much better quality than that which is Obtain
cd from the cultivated, but that it does not contain
SO great quantity Of colorlng matter.
The leaves should be gathered when the plant is
80, 0'o'o""'' Which a' tnIee cents pound, would
oe lucrative employment for country children.
and II sufficient supply Of the dried leaves could
be obtained at that price, it might be rendered, when
manufactured ready for use, al less than the first
COST OF the woad 10 England BY this means the
AMERICAN dyeFs could be supplied with native ar
tcie now considered as useless equal to woad as a
Preventative medium, containing twenty times as
much co!oring matter, more permanent than man
uiactured indigo and giving color unequalled BY
any Other plant o: process. HOPS0.H,