On the life of Oak Barl in djelng Blaci. 179 



who dyes twenty-five dozen of hats at a time, has employed 

 for ten years, with conftaut fuccefs, the procefs of Stepha- 

 nopoH. He aflures us, that from his own experience oak 

 bark deferves in every refpeft to be preferred to gall nuts. 



Morel, hatter, near the gate of St. Martin, one of thofe 

 who firft employed the procefs of Stephanopoli, has never 

 difcontinued it. Huaut, in the ftreet des Meneftrier;;, had 

 formed an eftablifliment for dyeing hats, but for want of 

 proper encouragement he was on the point of abandoning 

 his enterprife. Morel, however, advifed him to pay a* vifit 

 to Stephanopoli, from whom he obtained the procefs ; and 

 fince that time he has fucceeded. He declares that he is 

 under the greateft obligations to Morel, and the author of 

 this new method. He regularly heats a kettle of 300 hats 

 every twenty-four hours. Both Janin and Morel have for 

 feveral years paft received many letters from their cuftomers 

 refpefting the beauty and durability of the dye of their hats, 

 and, according to their declaration, only fmce they employed 

 oak bark. 



" It refults from what has been faid, that oak bark is pre- 

 ferable, in every refpeft, to gall nuts : that, being a produc- 

 tion of our own foil, it will free us from paying tribute to 

 foreigners ; and that a fcarcity of gall nuts, or Bccidents 

 which may happen to prevent a fupply of that article, can 

 no longer hurt the manufacture of hats in France, which is 

 of fo much importance, and that of wool dyed black, Sec. 



" We have not entered into all the details which this fub- 

 je6l would admit ; it is fufceptible of great extenfion, and, 

 in manv refpedls, may be confidered as new. It caimot be 

 doubted that the operation called galling might be performed 

 with oak bark, and it is to be regretted that the refearches of 

 Lapalle, Member of the Conllituent Aflembly, on this obje^5l 

 were not publifhed. 



" The ufe of oak bark was already known in fome branches 

 of dyeing, and this ufe of it had been mentioned by feveral 

 authors. To conclude : We are certain that, in the difpute 

 refpeding oak bark and gall nuts, the views of each party 

 were equally pure ; but experience alone was able to remove 

 every difliculty, and the Aflembly muft have ftcn that there 

 A a a remains 



