i 175 1 ly* 



The following are worthy of serious attention: — 



1. Xanthoriza Apiifolia, or x. tinctoria^ parsley-leaved root, yel- 

 low root. See Dr. . Woodhouse's experiments on this plant in the Do- 

 mestic Encyclopedia, article Xanthoriza. 



2. Hydrastis Canadensis, yellow root. The simple tincture of the 

 roots imparts to silk a rich yellow, and, with an appropriate mordant, 

 might be permanently fixed. 



3. Hopea tinctoria, horse laurel, horse honey, yellow leaf. This 

 tree abounds in the low parts of Virginia, in West Tennessee, the up- 

 per parts of North and South Carolina, Georgia, and, according to 

 IMichaux, generally in the limits of the pine barrens.* 



This author says, that, with alum, it dies a beautiful yellow on wool 

 and cotton; it would doubtless succeed equally well on silk. The 

 "ieaves only are used. Dr. Ramsayt says, that the late Mr. Felder, of 

 Orangeburg, procured a paste from the leaves, and those of a species 

 cf cassia, called yellow indigo, for which he obtained a guinea per 

 pound, during the American war. Unfortunately the process died 

 with him. Dr. R. mentions several other plants, which yield a yellow- 

 color. 



4. Bow wood, yellow wood, Osageapple tree: Maiclur a tJlurantiaca. 

 This abounds in Missouri,! and, according to Mr. Nuttal,§ also, in the 

 Arkansas Territory, near Style's farm, a few miles from the Kia- 

 mesha river, on the great prairie. 



5. Hypericum perforatum, St. John's wort. This plant is not a 

 native of the United States, but like the pretty, but troublesome weed 

 ransted, was imported from Europe, and has become a pest to the 

 farmers of Pennsylvania. The flowers and summits, filled in with 

 seeds, contain a juice, soluble in water, in spirit of wine, and vinegar. 

 It diffuses through the first two liquids a red color, and in the larter a 

 most splendid crimson: when combined with acids or metallic solucions, 

 it presents a beautiful yellow color. 



To die cloth, wool, silk, and cotton, yellow, it is sufficient to im- 

 merse them in water, properly impregnated with the juice of this plant, 

 and a certain quantity of mordant. The best mordant is alum and 

 potash, in which the stuffs are to remain for some time: for it is on the 

 length of the time, the quantity of mordant, and the heat employed, 

 that the fixity of the color, and the shades resulting from it, depend. 

 When little mordant is used, the die is of ^yellow color; by increasing 

 the mordant, it inclines to green, and, by adding a solution of tin in 

 iiitro-muriatic acid, it assumes rose, cherry, and crimson shades, all 

 very beautiful. The alum generally employed for all extractive dies 

 does not succeed well in the process here alluded to; the addition of pot- 

 ash is essentially necessary,]] because it decomposes this salt, precipi- 

 tates its earth, dissolves a considerable portion of it, and it is this alkaline 



* North American Sylva, vol. 3, p. 54. It also abounds in the Mississippi State. 

 7 History of Soutli Carolina, vol. 2, p. 249. 

 :; Bradbury's Travels. 

 § Nuttal's Travels. 

 " See-note on Alum. 



