L72 15 10

The average produce per hectare is 77 cwt., which, at L1 4s. 2d. per
cwt. (the price on the spot), is L93. The price is now much lower, but
still it is clear a most profitable return would be derived from the
first crop, and a proportionably larger one afterwards.

A considerable portion of the madder roots, instead of being ground
and exported in that form, as heretofore, is now exposed, after being
invested with dilute sulphuric acid, to a boiling heat by means of
steam, by which the coloring matter is considerably altered and
improved in quality for some dyeing processes, while the quantity
rendered soluble in water is greatly increased. The madder so prepared
is known as "garancine," and forms an important branch of manufacture
in the south of France, which was well illustrated at the Great
Exhibition in 1851, by a collection of specimens supplied by the
Chamber of Commerce of Avignon. The spent madder, after being used in
dyeing, is now also converted by Mr. H. Steiner, of Accrington, into a
garancine (termed _garanceuse_ by the French) by steaming it with
sulphuric acid in the same manner as the fresh madder, and thus a
considerable quantity of coloring matter is recovered and made
available which was formerly thrown away in the spent madder. Both
varieties of garancine give a more scarlety red than the unprepared
madder, and also good chocolate and black, without soiling the white
ground, but are not so well fitted, particularly the garancine of
spent madder, for dyeing purples, lilacs, and pinks. The value of the
garancine imported from France in 1848 was L59,554, and of that
imported in 1851 L93,818. This preparation of ground madder is
imported into Liverpool to the extent of from 500 to 600 tons annually
from Marseilles, for the use of calico printers in the manufacturing
districts. The price is L7 to L8 the ton.

This important root is already cultivated to a considerable extent in
Russia but not nearly in sufficient quantity to meet the local demand;
so that large quantities are imported from Holland and elsewhere,
every year.

The quantity of madder, madder-root, and garaneine annually imported
into the United Kingdom is exceedingly large, over 15,000 tons, as is
shown by a reference to the following figures:--

Madder. Madder roots. Garancine. Total.
cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts.
1848 81,261 139,463