Mobile register and journal. [volume] (Mobile, Ala.) 1841-1849, 1845-05-06
From the farmers Encyclopedia.
CIIITI1RE OE INnIG0


| lndigo-(Indigofera, from indigo, blue dye-siui
IA ruption OF hpdicu'n, and fro, TO bear. Mus
Of the species produce the well known dye called in
digo, the finest Of all vegetable blues This is al
extensive genus of rather elegant plants, the shrub
| berry kinds OF which are well worthy of cultivation
The stove and greenhouse shrubbery kinds thriy,
best in mixture Of sandy loan and peat, and ma
| be increased without difficulty b, cuttings of iht
young wood planted in sand under glass in heat
The annual and bienHIal kinds mist be raised fiom
| seeds in hot bed in spring; and when The
plants have grown sufficient height, they may b,
planted singv into pots, ami treated other tender
| ANNALS and bIennIals. The genus belongs to the
natural order iegumnos9; hence the flowers resetn
BILE the pea tribe. The rerillun is round emargina
ted; the heel furn, he'd with SIMULATE spur on boil
sides; sianens dadel phous. style flIform, legumt
| continuous, enc or more seeded, two Waived. The
irdigofsra eG,uiea Yields the finest indigo; the ar
gsntia inferior kind, which comes from Egypi; The
L. ti'icforid, besides yielding indigo, il also medic
nally employed; and The powdered leaf Of l. anil is
used in some diseases o I The lyer.-[ Paxton.
Indigo, when cultivated, lhrives best in free rich
soil and warm situation, frequently refreshed win
mo sture.
The usual course pursued for it's culture is ms fol
lows
Having first chosen proper piece Of ground, and
cleared it, hoe 1t into little treIches not above two
inches!or two inches and half in depth, not more
than fourteen or fifteen inches asunder. In the bot
tom Of these, al any OF the year, sirew the
seeds pretty thick, and Immediately cover them As
the plants shoot, they should be frequently weeded
and kept constantly clean until they spread sufficient.
ly TO cover the ground Those who cultivate prea,
quantities only strew the ground pretty thick in little
shallow pits, hoed up irres uarIy, but generally with
in four, five six inches Of one anoher and cover.
ed as before Plants raised in this manner are OBJ.
served To answer well an the others, or rather
better; but they require more care in the wedding.
They grow to full perfection in Two or three months
and al ohs au IN l,ast han En-.
blossom. The plants cut with reaping hooks a
lew inches above the root, tied in loads, carried 10
the works, and laid by strata in The sleeper. Seven
teen negroes sufficient 10 manage twenty acres
Of indigo; and one acre Of rich land well panit d
will, with good seasons aRd proper manaQe re me nj ,
yield five hundred pounds indigo in twelve months
for the plant ratoons (stools, stoes iillers; l.
1t sends stoones. growthr) and gives -four
or hye crops year. but must he replanted alter
wards.-l Browne.
The process by which the blue cooring matter Is
extracted from the plant in Mexico, the East Indies
&c {, Is as follows:
The leaves are gathered at maturity, and miners.
ed in vessels filled with water until fermentation
takes place. The water then becomes opaque and
green, exhaling an odor like that Of volatile alkali,
and evolving bubbles of carbonic acid gas. When the
fermentation has continued long enough, The liquid is
decanied and put into other vessels. where il is agr
taed till blue fakes begin TO appear. Water is now
poured in. and flakes precpitated in the form Of
blue powdery sedim NJ, which is obtained by decan-
taiiOn. and which, after heing made up into small
Jumps and dried in the shade, 10 the indigo Of the
shops 1t s insolubIe in water, though slight, So
lube in alcohol; but its true solvent is sulphuric
acid, with which il forms fine blue dye, known by
the of Liquid blue ID affords, by dislilIation,
ca, bonic acid gass, water, ammonia. some oily and
acid matter, and much charcoal, whence its consli.
tuent principles are most probably, carbon h, drogen
oxygen and nitrogen. Indigo may be procured alss
from several other plants besides indigofra tncforia