252 SCIENCE PROGRESS 



v B.A.S.F. Perkin & Sons 



Year - (tons). (tons). 



1869 — I 



1870 — 40 



1871 I25-150 220 



1872 400-500 300 



1873 900-1,000 435 



Although at first the dyers were somewhat suspicious of the 

 new product, they soon began to use it in conjunction with 

 garancine, and finally used it alone as its obvious advantages 

 over the natural product, both as regards quality and price, 

 became known. 



The inevitable result was the gradual collapse of the madder 

 industry, as can be seen from the following table : 



Average Annual Imports of Madder and Garancine into 



the United Kingdom 



Year. 

 1859-68 



1875 • 



1876 . 



1877 • 



1878 . 



By 1879 the price of Turkey roots had dropped to us. 



per cwt., whilst the price of 100 per cent, alizarine dropped 



continuously : 



In 1869 1 kilo cost Marks 270 



,, 1873 „ » 120 



„ 1878 „ „ 23 



„ 1902 „ „ 6*3 



In 1874 Perkin decided to retire from the manufacture of 

 dye-stuffs in order to devote himself again to purely scientific 

 work, for which his business left him little leisure. 



The works were sold to Messrs. Brooke, Simpson & Spiller, 

 who in their turn later disposed of the factory to Messrs. Burt, 

 Bolton & Haywood, the latter transferring the business from 

 Greenford Green to Victoria Docks, where they ultimately 

 became the present British Alizarine Company. 



However much the loss of Sir W. H. Perkin to the British 

 industry may be deplored, there is no doubt that when he 

 retired from active participation he left the industry in a 

 nourishing state and well able to support foreign competition. 



One difficulty had, however, shown itself already to him 



