Vegetable Dyes Part 13

_Fuller's Thistle_, or teasle. _Dipsacus fullonum._ Used for fulling cloth.

_Fustet._ Young fustic. Venetian Sumach _Rhus cotinus_. It gives a fine orange colour, which has not much permanence.

_Galls, Gall nuts._ Oak galls produced by the egg of an insect,--the female gall wasp. An excrescence is produced round the egg, and the insect, when developed, pierces a hole and escapes. Those gall nuts which are not pierced contain most tannic acid. The best come from Aleppo and Turkey.

_Gramme_ or _Gram_. About 15-1/2 grains (Troy).

_Kilo. Kilogramme._ Equals 2 lbs. 3.2 oz.

_Litre._ Nearly 1-3/4 pints.

_Lixivitation._ The process of separating a soluble substance from an insoluble by the percolation of water.

_Lixivium._ (Lye.) A term often used in old dye books, water impregnated with alkaline salts extracted by lixivitation from wood ashes.

_Lye_ or _Ley._ Any strong alkaline solution, especially one used for the purpose of was.h.i.+ng such as soda lye, soap lye.

_Mercerised Cotton._ Cotton prepared by treating with a solution of caustic potash or soda or certain other chemicals. Discovered by John Mercer in 1844.

_Milling._ The operation of fulling cloth.

_Myrobalans._ The fruit of several species of trees, growing in China and the East Indies, containing tannic acid (25-40% tannin).

_Oil of Vitriol._ Sulphuric acid.

_Organzine._ Twisted raw silk from best coc.o.o.ns, used for warp.

_Pearl Ash._ Carbonate of potash.

_Persian Berries._ The dried unripe fruit of various species of Rhamnus. Also called French berries, grains of Avignon.

_Pota.s.sium Carbonate._ (Potashes.) Carbonate of potash has been known since ancient times as a const.i.tuent of the ashes of land plants, from which it is obtained by extraction with water. In most cases Sodium Carbonate, which it strongly resembles, can be used in its place.

_Red spirits._ Tin Spirits. Applied to tin mordants generally. A solution of Stannous chloride.

_Red woods._ Camwood, Barwood, Sanderswood (Santal, Sandal, Red Sanders), Brazil wood, Sapan wood, Peach-wood.

_Roucou._ Anatta, Arnotto.

_Saxon blue._ The dye made by indigo dissolved in oil of vitriol.

_Scotch ell._ 37.2 inches.

_Scour, to._ To wash.

_Scroop._ The rustling property of silk.

_Soda ash._ Carbonate of soda.

_Sour water._ To every gallon of water, add one gill vitriol; stir thoroughly. Stuff steeped in this should be covered with the liquor, otherwise it will rot.

(2) Water in which bran has been made to grow sour. 24 bushels of bran are put in a tub, about 10 hogsheads of nearly boiling water is poured into it; acid fermentation soon begins, and in 25 hours it is ready to use.

(3) Throw some handfuls of bran into hot water and let it stand for 24 hours, or until the water becomes sour, when it is fit for use.

_Staple._ A term applied to cotton and wool indicating length of fibre.

_Substantive Dye._ A dye not requiring a mordant.

_Sumach._ Leaves and twigs of several species of Rhus, containing tannic acid. It is sold in the form of crushed leaves or as a powder (15-20% tannin).

_Tram._ Slightly twisted raw silk, used for weft.

_Tyrian purple._ A purple colour obtained from certain sh.e.l.l fish, such as Buccinum and Purpura. It is mentioned by Pliny as being discovered in 1400 B.C. It was a lost art in the Middle Ages.

_Valonia._ Acorn cups of certain species of oak from South Europe, containing 25-35% of tannic acid.

_Vegetable alkali._ Potash.

_Verdigris._ Acetate of copper.

_Wet out, to._ To damp before putting the yarn or cloth into the dye.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A profitable Boke. (On Dyeing.) Translated from the Dutch. 1583.

Bancroft, Edward. The Philosophy of Permanent Colours. 1794.

Berthollet. The Art of Dyeing. 1824.

Bird, F. J. The Dyer's Handbook. 1875.

Bolton, Clement. A Manual of Wool Dyeing. 1913.

Boulger, Professor G. S. The Uses of plants. 1889.

Brewster's Edinburgh Encyclopaedia. 1830. Dyeing.

Crook, W. Dyeing and Tissue Printing. 1882.

Darwin and Meldola. Woad. ("Nature," Nov. 12, 1896.)

Edge, Alfred. Some British Dye Lichens. (Journal of the Society of Dyers and Colourists. May, 1914.)