294. THE FLORAL WORLD AND GARDEN GUIDE. 
HOW TO DYE MOSSES, FLOWERS, AND GRASSES. 
HHE accompanying particulars of the mode adopted in 
Germany for bleaching and dyeing mosses, grasses, and 
flowers will afford the desired information to those 
correspondents who have written to us upon the subject. 
m We would say, first of all, that the gathering of the 
flowers should be proceeded with at once, and that dry weather 
should be taken advantage of. 
TO DYE MOSSES. 
Green.—Boil half a pound of alum in four quarts of water, and 
dissolve half a pound of finely triturated mineral blue in it, and a 
dark green dye is the result. Ora very beautiful green dye may be 
made with indigo—carmine and picric acid, adding water to reduce 
it to the desired hue. As picric acid is rarely to be had of uniform 
strength the exact proportions cannot be given. The same dye may 
be used for grasses. 
Black.—Two ounces of logwood in one quart of water, quarter 
ounce of alum, and three ounces of copperas, the whole boiled 
together and the moss dipped into it while hot. Or two parts of 
logwood and one of fleabane thoroughly boiled together, and a little 
green vitriol. 
Ited.—The best way to make this colour is to boil as much red 
aniline in rain water as will produce a pretty red. The dye should 
be hot when the moss is dipped. 
TO BLEACH AND DYE EVERLASTING FLOWERS, 
Bleaching.—Put a number of flowers, which have previously been 
placed in a warm chamber to cause them to open, in a vessel con- 
taining a solution of chloride of lime, half ounce of soda, and two 
quarts of water. Cover the vessel and leave it as it is ina moderate 
temperature for four or five days. During this period the flowers 
first change to an orange colour, and afterwards to a bluish-white. 
As soon as these changes show themselves take the flowers out and 
pour off the fluid, and fill it up again, using this time only one ounce 
of chloride of Jime and no soda. Let the flowers remain in this 
until quite white, subsequently drying them in a warm oven. 
Dyeing.—Carmine.—Quarter loth (about two drachms) of Munich 
lac, quarter quint (about half drachm) ultramarine blue, dissolved in 
twelve loths (about six ounces) of warm water. Rose. — Quarter 
quint of extract of safflower, dissolved in one quart of cold water. 
Dark blue.—One loth ind‘go extract in a quartof water. Cornflower 
blue.—Half loth of blue aniline, two loths of spirits of wine, in one 
quart of water. Violet.—Half loth violet aniline, with the same 
proportions of water and spirit. Light blue—Half loth Prussian 
blue, dissolved in a quart of water. Dark blue.—One loth of catechu, 
boiled in a quart of water. Light green.—Quarter loth picric acid, 
and quarter quint of indigo in twenty loth of alcohol. Black.—As 
given above. Orange. —Three loth of borax in two quarts of hot 
water, leaving the flowers to steep for some time. 
